


Alone, We Suffer

by phineas81707 (bethany81707)



Series: Bethany's Magvel [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: F/F, F/M, Full Story Novelisation, Gen, Level Grinding, Mind Control, Minor Original Character(s), Near-Miss Rape, Playable Character Death, Unrequited Love, petrification, rape as backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 10:44:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 27
Words: 102,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14809851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethany81707/pseuds/phineas81707
Summary: Grado's sudden strike has Magvel in disarray, especially as Grados intention in taking the Sacred Stones becomes clear. As much as they are loathe to do it to their former friend, Eirika and Ephraim organise their strike back.Story backbone is consistent with canonevents, with some chapter-to-chapter deviations.





	1. Escape From Nadaku

_ In an age long past… evil flooded over the land. Creatures awash in the dark tide ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In its despair, mankind appealed to the heavens, and from a blinding light came hope. The Sacred Stones. These five glorious treasures held the power to dispel evil. The hero Marin and her warriors used the Sacred Stones to combat evil’s darkness. They defeated the Demon King and sealed his soul away within the stones. With the darkness imprisoned, peace returned to Magvel. But this peace would not last… _

“Boooor-ing!” Tana called out. Fado looked up from the scroll he had been reading, and at the wide-eyed princess of Frelia he was caring for. Tana had a shorter attention span than his own daughter, Princess Eirika of Renais, but her optimistic personality made her a welcome guest at Castle Nadaku whenever she so wished.

“Tana… this is important to your kingdom. One day, you will rule over Frelia, and it is important you know what came before you,” Fado explained gently. Eirika had heard the tale and knew it well, which is why she was not currently present.

“Not before Innes gets the crown. I’m ruling over Renais when I’m older, and Ephraim will be able to help me with all this history nonsense,” Tana claimed. Of course, her claim was difficult to substantiate- Ephraim was always out and about whenever Tana came to visit Renais. Today, he was off investigating harsh rumours surrounding the Grado Empire’s military plans. This endeavour had actually lasted longer than Fado had expected, but it was still the case that Ephraim was absent.

“Frelia’s crown may be yours yet. Eirika and Ephraim intend to rule jointly, and as harsh as Prince Innes may seem to you, brothers care for their sisters,” Fado explained to her.

“Nuh-uh. Not Innes,” Tana contradicted. Fado gave a weary sigh. Tana’s mind was not going to be swayed by a simple lecture. At the very least, footsteps at the door told him he would have something to distract himself from Tana’s adamance. The door opened, and a soldier burst into the room. His armour had a speck of blood, as did his beard.

“Your Majesty, I bear bad news. The castle gate has been breached. Emperor Vigarde’s forces are within the castle walls!” the soldier reported. Tana cried out, and Fado stood to place a hand on her shoulder.

“I understand. How do our forces fare?” Fado asked.

“The garrison has fallen, and we have no way of contacting Ephraim’s forces,” the soldier reported. Tana looked between the two in fear.

“…Then it appears we have no choice. Call the order to surrender. I may only hope my sacrifice allows Tana and Eirika to escape this castle unharmed. Tana, run to Achaeus, and escape by skies. Watch for Grado’s wyverns, though,” Fado ordered. Tana nodded, running down the halls as fast as her legs could take her. Fado could only hope that Tana would have the sense to evade enemy detection… he could tell that Eirika was restraining her urge to follow Ephraim very strongly already. Were Tana to be captured by Grado, Eirika would rush in without hesitation. And that would spell disaster.

“Seth,” Fado requested. Seth, Fado’s most trusted knight, stepped forward. Although he had been reading, he was not without sufficient armour for his duty.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Seth asked, ready for his order.

“You are to take Eirika and head for Frelia. King Hayden will care for her as I have for Tana. I must also ask that you ensure to the safety of the Lunar Brace and Princess Tana, as well,” Fado requested. Seth gave a deep bow.

“What of Your Majesty?” Seth asked, knowing the answer.

“I must remain here. I must know why Grado has made this decision to attack. I must know why I have failed to keep Renais safe. Now go. See to the safety of Princess Eirika,” Fado ordered. Seth nodded, and made his escape. He narrowly avoided encountering Grado’s commanders- the mighty Emperor Vigarde himself, and his son Prince Lyon.

* * *

 

Seth looked around outside. Grado’s forces were at a minimum- clearly they were all taking control over Renais. Eirika followed behind him, ill at ease. Seth could hardly blame her- the fates of Ephraim, Tana and Fado were all unknown to her. The young soldier Franz galloped up to him.

“Franz, ride ahead and bring word of our escape to Frelia. I fear that reinforcements from Hayden will be necessary. A single rider will have better odds of reaching Frelia in time,” Seth ordered.

“Understood… but who will accompany you?” Franz asked.

“Go!” Seth ordered, and Franz bolted. Seth took another view, and noticed something swooping. He ordered Eirika to flee to the mountains, and pulled out his lance. The three wyvern riders landed, and the lead one peered down at Seth. His gaunt body showed clear signs of some affliction, but his cold, calculating eyes said anything but.

“That girl with the blue hair that just fled… that was the princess of Renais, was it not?” the wyvern rider asked.

“I will neither confirm nor deny the identity of the fleeing woman. It is my duty to fight to the death to ensure her safety- and that means killing you,” Seth boasted, readying his lance. The arrival’s two dragon riders began to follow Eirika, but one poke each knocked both off their mounts.

“You show some talent, knight. But you’re just a corpse who does not know of his own death. I am Valter, Grado’s own Moonstone. And control over Princess Eirika has already been promised to me by Emperor Vigarde!” Valter roared. Seth lunged with his lance, and Valter swung with his sword. Both missed, and the two fighters got a feel for the other. Seth knew he had the advantage in weapon choice, but when it came to battle, he knew he could not risk a battle of skill. The cost of duelling Valter here today, no matter who fell, would be Eirika’s safety at the least. Seth set his lance down into its battle sheath, and drew a javelin. He tossed it forward, tearing a massive hole in the side of Valter’s mount. Valter’s strike hit Seth’s right side, tearing a massive gash into the arm. Seth let out a yell, before his left arm grabbed the reins of his horse, and he dashed to follow Eirika. Valter watched them go, his wyvern unable to give chase.

“Such a horrible wound… and he holds to his duty still? How entertaining. Fly, strange little man. Fly. Try to outrun your death. I will savour the hunt… and I will  _ definitely _ savour your lady,” Valter growled.

* * *

 

Seth followed Eirika up a seldom-used mountain path that Fado had painstakingly ensured was open in the event of an emergency. Eirika was seated behind one of the many natural-looking walls that concealed her from pursuit- if Seth had not made sure he checked each one, he would’ve overlooked her. And from the way Eirika was stretching her legs, it seemed her pause was done with the intent to continue when she was more fully rested.

“Princess Eirika, Grado doesn’t seem to have men in place to offer pursuit. We should be safe for the time being, but we mustn’t neglect our pace until we have found Princess Tana,” Seth stated in a business-like manner.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Seth. Your wound is bleeding far too much. I didn’t have time to grab my good bandages, but I’ve a few rags and such that might be used to staunch the blood flow? It would be unwise to press on until we have made sure you will survive the journey,” Eirika replied, reaching into her pouch.

“No, Eirika. Until we find Tana, we must not stop longer than necessary,” Seth repeated.

“Tana’s tougher than you give her credit for. Besides, you called reinforcements from Frelia- if they arrive, they will find Tana first,” Eirika told him. Regardless of Seth’s objection, Eirika pulled away Seth’s shirt, and began wrapping Seth’s arm in a makeshift sling. It was far from perfect- in fact, it was unlikely he’d be able to enter any round of combat- but with the resources available, it’d have to do.

“Now come, Eirika. We must make it to Frelia. The efforts of King Fado and Prince Ephraim will surely be in vain if you fall here,” Seth told Eirika. Eirika nodded, and helped Seth aboard his horse. She took a moment to consider riding double, before voices from the direction of Renais told Eirika to reconsider.

“Pursuers,” Eirika told Seth. Seth reached for his sword, only to cry out as his wound struck him.

“Eirika… there’s a rapier in the saddlebags… please… can you…” Seth muttered. Eirika nodded, and pulled it out of the bag. The rapier was rather light, and suited her style of fighting well- seeing as how she learned her craft from a lance user.

“Renais dogs… cornered at last,” the leader of the attacking force growled. Eirika steeled herself for the coming battle- against axemen, sure, but there were three of them. Eirika took in a deep breath, before lunging forward into one of them. The fighter was nothing special, and fell to the ground. His brother stepped forward, only to tumble on the wrist of the first and fall onto jagged rock. Eirika thanked her lucky stars, and turned to focus on the third, the leader. He looked much sturdier than his minions.

“Do you think you can take me, wretched lordling girl? I am the legendary O’Neill,” the fighter boasted. Eirika neglected to respond, keeping her mind firmly on the battle. She watched the axe fly around, and dodged the heavy blade. O’Neill’s axe flew back into a resting position easily- Eirika could see no advantage to a dodge-counter.

Or maybe she could.

Eirika stepped backwards, forcing O’Neill to clamber over the corpse of the first fighter. Eirika knew this portion of the pass well, and led O’Neill towards one of the outcrops. She feinted towards the left, and O’Neill responded with a heavy axe swing. Eirika dodged the axe, and the blade found itself lodged in the outcropping itself. O’Neill grunted, and reached over with his second hand to dislodge the axe. Eirika thrust quickly with her rapier, piercing his leather armour and separating him from his axe.

“Phew… I think that’s all of them…” Eirika whispered, looking between the first fighter and O’Neill. The second, the one that had stumbled, appeared to have stirred, but Eirika didn’t have the heart to strike him with a safety blow.

“Are you hurt, Princess?” Seth asked, looking around, and again cursing his shoulder.

“Hurt, no. Shaken, maybe… my only experience with battle has been against my brother and Lyon. I never knew how it would feel to stand on a battlefield… to strike a man down. A man who… no, best not to think about that, if I plan to see this war through. I must see Renais restored. I must see my father and brother again. Seth, we must press on to Frelia… we must find Tana,” Eirika described. Seth nodded in agreement, and beckoned with his good arm. Eirika quickly cleaned off her rapier with a spare cloth, before sheathing it and joining Seth on his back.

There was no time for rest until they arrived at Frelia.


	2. Refuge in Mulan

Princess Tana stopped her escape once she reached Border Mulan. She had noticed the cavalier with Renais’s insignia making his way to Castle Robin, but as far as she was concerned, that was unnecessary- the standing force here at Mulan would be enough to reinforce Eirika until they made it to the safety of Frelia.

“Princess Tana… what are you doing here so soon?” the captain of the border guard, Shang, asked. Tana looked back, checking for aerial pursuit.

“Grado went and attacked us. Eirika should be following behind, so I’m coming to get some soldiers to keep her safe!” Tana claimed. Shang thought to himself. His men weren’t the most top-notch of troops- the very idea of stationing a border guard along the Frelia-Renais border was a formality bordering on insanity barring maybe the occasional crook- but it was not his place to disrupt the confidence of King Hayden’s special little girl.

“We’ll be geared up within the hour, Your Highness,” Shang told her. Tana nodded, and entered the armoury herself. Shang watched her go, curious as to whether the lass would be able to  _ lift _ a slim lance, let alone use one.

* * *

 

Tana barely had any time to accustom herself to the weighting of the stock iron lance Border Mulan possessed before Shang returned to her.

“Your Highness, Grado’s men are attacking this position!” Shang reported.

“What the… that’s no fair! We should at least get a turn setting up defences!” Tana responded.

“Your Highness, this position is too bleak. Please continue to Robin,” Shang begged. Tana shook her head.

“Not on your job! Eirika hasn’t reached us yet, and I’m not leaving her there! There should be a Renais cavalier coming with reinforcements from Father. Just hold out until then!” Tana ordered. Shang took a moment to consider his options, but he knew he shouldn’t disobey a direct order from the crown princess, no matter how misguided her goals may be.

* * *

General Shang stepped onto the gate of Mulan Keep, the confidence the gate inspires flowing into him. He watched the approach of Grado’s force- a meagre supply. The mountains between Frelia and Renais would be their friends… but not for long. Shang knew that, after this battle, he’d have to petition the king for a larger, more well-trained, standing force. He and his men could not hold Mulan Keep against Grado’s best wyvern knights. Shang watched the commander of the Grado forces make his approach. His armour was unadorned- this was a minor officer, likely not making the trek voluntarily. Shang smiled. Reluctant soldiers would be easy to face.

“Greetings, Frelian cur. I’m here to claim the princess of Renais on behalf of the Moonstone. You have to the count of three to relinquish her,” the Grado commander stated.

“You will do no such thing, Grado filth!” Shang bellowed. The commander, a member of the heavy infantry, walked directly up to Shang. He spun his lance about, and prepared a strike. Shang jumped into the air, avoiding the blow, before cleaving down with his own strike. His sword lodged itself into the infantryman’s armour, but instead of a decisive blow, the blade found itself locked in the man’s armour for little more than what could generously be considered an injury. Maybe.

“Pathetic. This is the fate of the man who faces my lance!” the soldier bellowed. He thrust his lance again, and General Shang found himself impaled. The Grado man pulled the sword from his plate armour, and proceeded.

* * *

 

“Princess Eirika? Where are you?” the Grado soldier asked, wandering Border Mulan. Princess Tana knew the place wasn’t large enough to hide her forever- from the brief yelps that periodically echoed, it sounded like whatever garrison was to be found in Mulan was being slaughtered. Tana knew their sacrifice had to be taken. She slipped across her pegasus Achaeus, making sure the iron lance was within easy reach. A door opened, and a soldier appeared. Not the heavy infantryman leading the charge- but Tana was just as afraid of the archer as she would’ve been of him.

“What do you think you’re doing, wandering around Frelia like you own the place?” Tana bellowed. The archer grinned, and levelled his bow. The infantryman stepped behind Tana.

“Now who do you think you are?” the man asked.

“I am Princess Tana of Frelia! I am a strong pegasus knight, and you will leave my country or suffer the consequences!” Tana responded, largely ignoring the archer.

“Princess Tana, is it? Well… you’d certainly make a fine hostage to protect us from King Hayden’s reinforcements,” the commander stated.

“Not a chance!” Tana responded, charging forward with her lance. The archer got off a shot, striking Tana’s arm. Tana grabbed the lance with her left arm, and attempted to continue, switching to aiming for the archer. The commander departed the keep, for reasons unknown, so Tana could not continue a fight with him anyway.

_ Smart man _ , Tana thought to herself.

* * *

Eirika and Seth approached Border Mulan. Rather than the peaceful border post with the amicable guards Eirika had befriended, the place was crawling with the crimson-armoured Grado soldiers. Axe fighters and light infantry were patrolling the area, obviously keyed up for Eirika’s own approach.

“Princess Eirika…” Seth started. Eirika shook her head, looking down at her rapier.

“You know Tana… she’ll have probably stopped for rest in Mulan. She might be in there… and even if she weren’t, we need access to the medicinal kit Mulan will have. This force looks small enough that I could take them with careful movement. If we encounter a larger, more focused group, and you’re still in no shape to fight…” Eirika explained, letting the consequences sink in for Seth. His loyalty was of an A-grade standard, but Eirika had the better mind for knowing when a risk was worth taking. If Seth were in fighting condition, he’d have absolutely no compunction with following Eirika’s advice- as she pointed out, this force would be simple enough for the inexperienced diplomat. But as it stood, where she couldn’t use his strength for support…

“I do not like this plan. But I trust your judgement. Remember that your people need you more than they need me- I will grab you and bolt if the situation demands it,” Seth stated.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else, Seth… thank you,” Eirika told him. Seth gave his best bow, and Eirika began her approach. The first soldier Eirika encountered was one of the axe men, and Eirika considered her odds. She fought with swords, and Ephraim had made it clear that swords had an advantage over axes. That said, the thrust she delivered to this foe was sidestepped by the fighter, and the counter swing came close enough to cut off a small lock of her hair. Clearly, her thrusting style lost that advantage. Eirika stepped back, trying to come up with a counterplan. She heard Seth’s horse begin to move, and stepped to one side. While Seth couldn’t wield a weapon of iron effectively, his horse was weapon enough. Eirika quickly thrust at the confused axeman, defeating him. Eirika looked up at the other members of Grado’s infantry. Quite a number had spotted them, and Seth’s tactic would not work on them all.

“Seth… it might be time to abandon Mulan…” Eirika reluctantly stuttered. Seth turned to her, and then to the opposing army. His eyes narrowed, noticing something, before turning back to her.

“…No. No it’s not,” Seth told her. Eirika looked up in confusion, and noticed it too. A cavalier ran forward, and tossed a set of javelins at the Grado soldiers. A select few, especially the axe fighters, ran towards the cavalier and his heavily armoured companion, leaving the light infantry for Eirika to handle relatively easily. She nearly took a hit in doing so, but compared to an onslaught of several soldiers…

“Your Highness!” Franz called. Eirika looked up, and smiled at the cavalier Seth had sent ahead to call for reinforcements.

“Thank you, Franz. You could not have arrived at a better moment. Now we must retake Border Mulan,” Eirika stated. Franz gave his best horseback bow, and began an offensive charge. The knight accompanying him, a Frelian soldier named Gilliam, remained closer to Eirika, soaking attacks that Eirika and Seth would struggle to take.

“Bah, what a bunch of worthless curs… horseman! Look at you, you’re barely even a man! Stand and fight like one!” the heavy infantryman called. Franz readied his lance, and watched the commander’s approach. The lance shot forward predictably and straightforwardly, and the agility Franz had developed easily sidestepped it. Franz thrust with his own lance, striking, but not really digging deep into the opponent’s armour.

“Ha-ha! What are you going to do now?” the commander taunted. Eirika stepped forward carefully. The commander took a look at her.

“You? You’re going to be the one to defeat me? Ha, don’t make me laugh!” the commander bellowed. He thrust with his lance, and Eirika, like Franz, could easily sidestep the blade. Eirika made her thrust with the rapier, the thin blade sliding in between a chink in his armour, and she felt the resistance of the squishy side of the man.

“Argh… how did you… You… YOU!” the Grado commander roared. He twirled his lance around, and began his charge. Eirika jumped backwards, and dived under the thrust. Her movement came too quickly, and momentum carried her under the soldier’s feet. The soldier’s foot found itself on her breastplate, and Eirika gasped in shock.

“Hahaha… I’m going to be promoted to General with this kill, easily…” the commander taunted. The grin on his face quickly turned to shock, and he fell over Eirika and landed, face down, in the dirt. Eirika got to her feet, winded slightly, and saw the evil-looking javelin emerging from his back.

“But who threw…” Eirika started, before noticing that Seth, Franz and Gilliam were all staring in shock behind her, towards where the javelin-thrower would be. Eirika realised she should probably look that direction too. As she did so, she found her saviour had rushed forward and already given her a firm (but gentle) hug.

“Eirika are you all right I would have come sooner but there was this archer and-” Tana babbled.

“Whoa, calm down, Tana!” Eirika chuckled, stopping Tana’s stream before she ran out of breath. Eirika gave Tana a comforting rub on the back, before breaking away.

“What happened?” Eirika asked. Tana took a moment to breathe before answering.

“I stopped in Mulan to rest Achaeus, when those Grado soldiers came up and murdered the entire garrison. They were looking for you, Eirika… but all they found was me. They had an archer to keep me in place, but… it was an  _ archer _ . Have you seen one hit anything in close quarters?” Tana explained. Everyone was nodding, accepting the story.

“Very well, milady Tana. We’d best get to Robin now- your father is missing you dearly,” Gilliam stated. Tana nodded, and called Achaeus. Eirika rode double with her, while Gilliam came aboard Franz’s horse. Seth, still injured slightly, rode alone.

* * *

 

The group completed the now danger-free trek through the peaceful country of Frelia, and found themselves in the majestic castle Robin. Tana led them through the familiar hallways to King Hayden’s study. King Hayden himself was reading- a habit he had picked up now that he was old and retired from battle. His favoured bow remained on the mantle- and pegasus riders like Tana never failed to shiver when reminded their king was once a great archer.

“Tana! Thank the stars above you’re safe!” Hayden exclaimed, once he had noticed her. He marked his page, set his book down, and began the process of extricating himself from his chair- not exactly easy in his advancing years. Tana rushed forward, and helped him to his feet. Hayden took his cane, and approached Eirika.

“And if it isn’t sweet little Eirika! My, my, if I had to say one good thing about these troubled times, it’s that it’s purely lovely to see you again,” Hayden rambled. Eirika smiled politely.

“You are too kind, King Hayden. I trust you know what has happened to Renais, don’t you?” Eirika responded. Hayden’s eyes fell- as if the responsibility to tell a harsh truth had fallen on him. Eirika quickly prepared to accept the worst.

“I do, Eirika. Your father, King Fado… he did not survive the attack,” Hayden whispered. Eirika nodded, holding back the tears. There was a time to break down and cry for her father, but this was not it.

“You can rest assured, Eirika, that Grado will pay for this act. You have Frelia’s full support in the war against Grado. You should probably rest- you and Tana must no doubt be truly exhausted,” Hayden assured her. Eirika nodded, considering making for Tana’s room. However, one last question remained on her mind- and Tana had asked it.

“Do you know what happened to Ephraim, daddy?” Tana asked.

“Ah, yes, Ephraim. He and his men march on Grado, diving into enemy territory to be a thorn in Grado’s sides more damaging than the lances they wield. I’ve always said Ephraim was a bit too overconfident, but never let it be assumed that charging headlong into danger is always the worst strategy,” Hayden divulged. Eirika looked up.

“So he’s alive?” Eirika asked.

“Sadly, I do not know- the pegasi that brought this information do not have a way of reliably observing Ephraim’s efforts, what with Grado’s mighty wyvern forces. Ephraim is certainly a valiant soldier, one with limits far exceeding a normal man… but he does have limits. Whether he has reached them yet, I cannot say,” Hayden told her. Eirika’s mind was set as to her next goal.

“King Hayden, I cannot remain here. I must head to Grado, to reinforce Ephraim’s efforts,” Eirika stated firmly. Seth turned to her, confounded. He was still injured, Eirika was inexperienced, and Franz had a lot of growing to do. With whom Eirika intended to reinforce Ephraim, Seth had no clue.

“I cannot allow it. I know how you feel- I, too, have stayed back while a man I trusted beyond all others fought in the belly of the beast. But I would be betraying that man’s memory if I allowed his daughter to rush into danger. I implore that you remain here, and leave this war to the warriors,” Hayden begged.

“I know you mean well, King Hayden… but he’s the only family I have left. I can’t sit here in peace while I fear for my brother’s life,” Eirika explained.

“Eirika… please be logical, just for a moment. Renais has no more army- Grado saw to that. My own son, Prince Innes, is on the front lines, and every single brigade I might otherwise have been able to spare is with him. The only force you’ll be able to claim is your retinue of knights. Are you so determined to go that you’ll face those odds?” Hayden pointed out. Eirika turned to her forces. With a day of good rest, Seth would be back on the front lines. Franz was wet behind the ears, but with some experience, he might be able to match Seth, and give him some respite. Tana, who would sneak out after them no matter what Hayden said, was even more so, and the tactical benefits of having a pegasus knight were far greater than those of having horsemen. And Eirika herself, while not particularly skilled, was still far from useless.

“With all due apologies… yes. I am that determined,” Eirika told Hayden firmly.

“Goodness, stubbornness runs in the family… very well. Gilliam, go and tell Vanessa and Moulder that they’ll be accompanying Eirika into Grado territory in search of Ephraim,” Hayden conceded. Gilliam bowed, and left the room. If Eirika’s memory served her correctly, Vanessa was a fine pegasus knight, and Moulder was skilled with a healing staff. Not only would Seth’s wound be healed faster, but a second pegasus knight, a combat medic and a heavily-armoured knight would serve as great boons to her journey.

“Thank you, King Hayden,” Eirika told him.

“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t even mentioned the supply caravan and the gold. It’s but a pittance compared to what I might otherwise offer, but I’m afraid it’s the best I can offer,” Hayden added. Eirika gave Hayden a gentle hug, taking care not to knock him off balance.

“Just make sure you actually come back with Ephraim, though!” Hayden chuckled.

* * *

 

After a night of good rest and a few well-stocked meals, Eirika was ready to head out. As expected, Tana had sneaked her way into the stables, a slim lance designed for pegasus knights strapped to her back. Eirika followed her, and watched her lead Achaeus from his space.

“Tana, I know I won’t be able to stop you. But after all Hayden has done for me… is there any way I might be able to convince you to remain in safety. How do you think he’ll react if you got captured? How do you think  _ I’ll _ react?” Eirika asked.

“Eirika… I know the risks. And I’m scared of them. But I’m even more scared poor Ephraim will suffer them. Why did your brother have to be so gosh-darn cute and virtuous and stuff?” Tana told her.

“Tana…” Eirika started.

“Eirika, I know you’re scared. But don’t forget- I learned from the best of the best in the pegasus knights. I won’t be captured easily,” Tana stated.

“Oh… why did Vigarde have to do this? He was always so peaceful and gentle… and Lyon… he was our friend. Why did he change so?” Eirika cried gently.

“I can’t answer that for you, Eirika. I don’t want to believe it either, but we’re at war either way. And both of our brothers are putting their necks on the line to keep Frelia from following Renais. We’ll have to fight… and maybe we’ll be able to bring back the Vigarde and Lyon you know and love,” Tana told Eirika confidently. Eirika smiled, and gave Tana a hug.


	3. Bandit Attack

_ Eirika sets off to Grado in hopes of finding her brother, Ephraim. King Hayden provides her with a core of strong fighters to assist her, but her army is still small in number. Eirika is grateful for the aid Hayden provides, and focuses on heading to her brother. The first stop the group travels through is the remote village of Ide. Until recently, Ide was a part of Renais- and the impacts of Grado conquest make themselves apparent here. _

* * *

 

Eirika paused the group’s march at lunch break. With the large number of mounts available to the party, they had made good progress. Eirika unfurled Seth’s map, on which he had drawn the path they would take. Moulder stepped forward, and observed the map too.

“You intend to have us cross through Renais territory until we reach Serafew? A wise decision,” Moulder observed.

“Thank you, Father Moulder. But it was Seth’s idea, not mine,” Eirika told him.

“Sir Seth? I must remember to compliment him. But I have heard whispers that you have at least some knowledge of tactics…” Moulder stated. Eirika shyly laughed, before having an idea.

“Vanessa? Are you and your pegasus able to scout ahead for us? Just to make sure we don’t wander into Grado soldiers without warning,” Eirika called.

“Of course, Princess Eirika. I shall prove myself worthy of the honour of your trust!” Vanessa responded, mounting her own pegasus and soaring forward quickly.

“Don’t forget to watch for arrows!” Eirika hurriedly called to her. Vanessa was long gone, though.

“She seems very sincere…” Eirika remarked, watching her fly.

“She has a devotion to Prince Innes. Unlike Princess Tana, Vanessa focuses that energy into serving her country of Frelia well. I suppose it is only natural- Vanessa is a high-ranking and loyal knight of Frelia, while Princess Tana holds no title of Renais,” Moulder stated. Eirika nodded vaguely. Something about Moulder’s words seemed peculiar, but she couldn’t place what, if anything, was odd about them.

* * *

 

Ross swung his axe downward. The ‘thud’ of firewood chopping had lost its appeal after the many logs he had cut, but his father had drilled into his head the idea that, to become a powerful warrior, he must swing his axe countless times, and build the necessary muscles. The idea for firewood to be underneath his axe as he practiced was actually Ross’s idea- and the village of Ide had been grateful for it. Ross looked up, the rhythmic motion of chop-move-chop having become instinctual, and looked across the plains. He peered into the distance, and noticed a small gaggle of top-heavy looking fellows.

“Dad! You might want to have a look at this!” Ross called out. His father, Garcia, came out of the village, and took a moment to look at the figures himself.

“Run, Ross. Those are bandits!” Garcia commanded.

“No way, Dad! I’m fighting by your side!” Ross told him.

“Too dangerous! You’ll have to find help!” Garcia told him.

“But you’re faster…” Ross started.

“THAT’S AN ORDER!” Garcia bellowed. Ross stepped backwards, and started turning away. An arrow caught him in the left shoulder, and Ross dropped to the ground.

“Ungh…” Ross cried out. Garcia turned to him, and gasped. He pulled the arrow out, and quickly tore a makeshift bandage together out of Ross’s shirt.

“You’ll need help… and…” Garcia started, looking around.

“Don’t worry, Dad… I can still fight…” Ross gasped.

* * *

 

“Princess Eirika, I bring dire news!” Vanessa called out. Eirika looked up, and noticed how clearly frazzled Vanessa was.

“What is it?” Eirika asked, though she feared the answer.

“Bandits… bandits are attacking a village to the east!” Vanessa explained. Eirika’s shoulders went rigid, and Seth turned to her.

“Princess Eirika, you can’t possibly mean…” he started.

“This is Renais… and I am her queen. I’m sorry, Seth, but I can’t sit idly by and let my country be destroyed,” Eirika told him. Seth bowed.

“Your Highness…” Moulder began.

“Call me Eirika, Moulder. And we really should be getting a move on if we want to save that village!” Eirika told him.

“Very well, Eirika… what is your plan?” Moulder asked. Eirika took the time to think her plan through.

“Vanessa, what can you tell us about the bandits? The village? Surely the village should still have a watch,” Eirika asked.

“The bandits wielded axes. Not too well, but they did. There was also one archer present. As for the village… a pair of axemen were defending. One was clearly more inexperienced than the other… oh, and that one will need help! Moulder, can you-” Vanessa explained. Eirika was nodding to herself, looking around her party. The high number of lance users worried her, but she had some ideas.

“Not from here. Eirika, you will need to bring the child to me if he is to be healed,” Moulder stated. Eirika accepted that limitation as she thought.

“All right… Vanessa, Tana, we go straight to them. Tana, you’ll carry me, and I’ll handle the fighting, with you and whatever guardians the village possesses. Vanessa, you’ll need to grab the wounded one, and return to Moulder as quickly as possible. Franz, Seth, grab your swords, and travel along the path. We should have them trapped in a pincer,” Eirika suggested.

“And me?” Gilliam asked.

“Keep one eye open as you follow behind the horses. I don’t want  _ them _ getting pincered,” Eirika told him. Gilliam nodded philosophically. His heavy armour would prevent him from approaching the enemy quickly.

“Let’s go!” Eirika ordered. She jumped onto the back of Tana’s pegasus, and the two shot into the sky with a pair of whooshes. The horses shot into a canter, making sure not to go so fast that they encountered a dangerous situation. Gilliam began his walk.

* * *

 

Garcia chopped another bandit, but another one, completely fighting fresh, was ready to replace him. He parried the stroke to his left, where Ross was, but was forced to take the scrape to his right as compensation. He gritted his teeth, and stepped back a little further. The three bandits before him stepped forward menacingly. Well, it would’ve been menacing if two hadn’t decided to change to funny faces. They fell forwards onto their faces, exposing the javelins buried into their bare backs. Garcia looked up, and saw a pair of pegasus knights.

“My son! Please help!” Garcia called out to them. The pair flew forward, and the rider on the right lunged her lance into the third bandit, the one who remained awfully close. He shot his axe up to catch the lance, and a girl jumped off from behind the pegasus. Neither the bandit nor Garcia saw her sword pierce the bandit’s chest until it already had.

“Is he the injured boy?” the woman asked, turning to Garcia and pointing at Ross.

“Yes… please… he’s my only son… he’s the only family…” Garcia begged. The second pegasus flew downwards, and the woman scooped Ross up. She turned, and passed Ross to the second pegasus, who took Ross and flew.

“That’s him taken care of… now to protect this village. And where’s the archer?” the woman asked, looking around.

“Already taken care of,” someone else interjected. The woman turned to see a mage knight approaching.

“General Selena… you’re still here?” Garcia asked.

“I couldn’t let a village be left facing bandits. But I will have to leave now… now that I know I can leave with the village in safe hands,” the mage knight, General Selena, replied.

“Oh…” the other woman started, clearly surprised.

“I have little time to spare… take this,” Selena clarified. ‘This’ was a small red gem. The woman took it thoughtfully.

“You deserve more, but I’m afraid that’s all I can part with at this moment. Should you find yourself visiting Grado at any time, ask for General Selena the Fluorspar, and I’ll offer a bit more valuable a reward,” Selena elaborated, before galloping into the distance. The woman pocketed the gem, and took a hold of her rapier. Another wave of bandits was approaching…

“Is there anyone else in your village that knows how to fight?” the woman asked.

“Not as far as I’m aware…” Garcia told him.

“Then we must be cautious. Two horsemen will approach from the enemy’s rear… we must hold out until then,” the woman stated confidently. Garcia nodded, and levelled his axe. Introductions could wait until the horsemen had arrived.

* * *

 

Vanessa landed besides Gilliam and Moulder, and pulled Ross from the back of her pegasus. He set him down beside Moulder, and Moulder began healing the boy, despite his protests.

“Do you think the princess will be all right?” Gilliam asked.

“She looked it, when I left. Though I fear that numbers will overwhelm her…” Vanessa explained.

“Then why do you remain?” Gilliam asked. Vanessa turned to Ross.

“This tyke’s been telling me all about how he’s going to pull his weight. I want him to actually do so…” Vanessa explained, trailing off. She turned to the mountains, and started searching for the movement she had spotted. Gilliam began talking, but Vanessa wasn’t paying attention. There was a brigand in the mountains… and it looked like he wanted to cause an ambush.

“Gilliam, Moulder, look to the mountains,” Vanessa said nervously, pointing at the brigand. Gilliam, Moulder and Ross watched the brigand clamber down the mountain.

“Can we trust the horses to notice?” Gilliam asked, knowing the answer.

“No… we have to do this ourselves,” Vanessa answered. She shot forward, and Gilliam and Ross followed closely behind.

“That impatient little tyke… I was still pulling that arrowhead out,” Moulder groaned, before following.

* * *

 

Bone clambered down the mountain. He had noticed the two horsemen pass by, and he knew he had to take them down to make it out of this raid with something. A faint whirring noise sounded, and in Bone’s haste to locate it, he lost his grip, and tumbled down the mountain. He managed to brace himself, but that fall would certainly mean any attacker would have a significant advantage. No matter… he’d just have to attack first. He looked around, figured out which way the horsemen were going, and stepped forward.

“Hold it right there, bandit scum!” a voice called from behind. Bone turned. It was the boy he was sure had been wounded when they had first struck. His shoulder seemed a lot clearer than usual… of course! There had to be a healer about. Bone cursed his luck- but he knew he was far better than the boy before him. His grip on his axe was far too loose, his stance too firm.

“You’re no match for me!” Bone yelled. He began his charge forward, and Ross prepared his counter. Instead of a charge, he tossed his hatchet instead. The hatchet soared end over end, and as luck would have it, the point that struck Bone was the blade. Bone keeled over, and Ross moved forward to collect his hatchet.

“I’m going to need a set of handaxes if I’m going to do that more often,” Ross remarked, turning back to Moulder. Moulder wordlessly gestured to the ground, and Ross allowed him to continue his work. Ross got the combat he needed.

* * *

 

Fortunately for Eirika, the bandit’s assault was turned against them by her plan. She, too, had noticed the brigand in the mountains, but had no chance to spare effort on him. She also noticed that the bandit’s assault had lost much of its cohesion after Vanessa’s javelin knocked the brigand off the mountain- which if the two facts were connected, offered Eirika some decent insight into future battle strategies.

“You saved my son. I owe you my thanks,” Garcia stated, offering his hand. Eirika took it, and gave it a firm shake. Seth and Franz came closer, while Tana shot back to keep an eye out for the Frelians.

“Please, it’s not necessary to offer thanks for doing my job,” Eirika deflected. Whatever Garcia was about to say in response was lost when Seth let out a shocked gasp.

“You… you wouldn’t happen to be the Great Garcia, would you?” Seth asked. Eirika and Franz turned to him in confusion.

“…What do they tell you in the academy these days, Franz?” Seth sighed.

“Mostly about the Silver Knight Seth,” Franz told him with all the seriousness he could. Seth moaned.

“Course he would… anyway, Garcia was a troop commander until about ten years ago. They say his axe tore down many foes of Renais, and while his skill with the bow wasn’t anywhere close to Zethla’s, it was still good enough that he could crumble an offensive before the enemy was even in range of a good handaxe toss,” Seth explained. Franz was wide eyed. Garcia… was chuckling.

“The axe, I might give you. But whoever started the story about my skills with a bow was very definitely exaggerating. The few times I shot arrows, I tended to get hurt as much as the enemy,” Garcia laughed. Seth’s jaw dropped.

“But…” Seth started.

“Seth, leave it. So, Sir Garcia, do you think you would be able to accompany us to Grado?” Eirika asked. Garcia shook his head.

“Nothing doing, lass. I’m retired, and that’s that. I fought fighting for Renais’s honour… fighting for faceless nobles, nobles that couldn’t give a damn what happened to me as long as their own agendas got satisfied. I didn’t make time for family… and I regret it to this day. My poor Risa… she fell ill and died. See, if I had been there, I could’ve saved her. It’s a simple illness, and one I had cured before. But by the time I found out… it was too late. I finally realised what my duty to the crown had cost me. I made a promise to her- I will be a father to my son. I’m done with the army. I’m done with fighting. I’m just a father to my boy, not a warrior,” Garcia answered. Eirika gave a shudder of sympathy.

“Wait, Dad!” Ross’s voice called out. Everyone turned, and saw Ross having shot ahead with Tana. Gilliam, Vanessa and Moulder weren’t far behind her.

“Ross?” Garcia asked.

“So what’s this nonsense about staying here all about, huh? I’m a fighter too, I can help this lady!” Ross exclaimed.

“Ross…” Garcia started, at a loss for words.

“I’m not a child anymore- I don’t need protecting from everyone. I killed that brigand. I’m certainly not a liability for this army, and there’s nowhere to go but up. Father, I’m joining this group, alone if I must!” Ross continued. Garcia let out a low chuckle.

“My boy… reckless and impulsive as always. But I guess that’s me calling the kettle black. So, what army is it I’m signing up for?” Garcia chuckled.

“Oh… wow, I’d have thought my name would’ve come up by now. I’m Eirika... Princess Eirika. We’re headed to Grado to aid Prince Ephraim in the war against Grado,” Eirika explained. Garcia and Ross immediately went to kneel.

“And there’ll be none of that on this trip. I don’t want you thinking you’ve gone back to serving faceless, selfish nobles, Garcia,” Eirika added.

“Thank you, milady Eirika… I promise I’ll make sure we both put in all the effort we can!” Garcia promised.

* * *

 

Before she departed to continue her journey, she stopped by to see the mayor of Ide. Seth and Tana accompanied her, taking on the guise of travelling sisters and their bodyguard as a precaution. Grado had established a presence, and while Ross and Garcia were informed of Eirika’s true identity and movements, there’d be bigger problems if either had informed Grado.

“Thank you so much for your aid! Please, spend the night. It’s the least we could offer to heroes such as yourself,” the mayor told them.

“Your offer is appreciated, but I must decline. We have far to travel and little time to make that journey,” Eirika replied, a little wistfully.

“However, if you feel you must offer hospitality, more food will certainly be welcome. Preferably travelling food, since I don’t think we should stay for lunch,” Tana added. The mayor nodded, and gave the order to the nearest person- and reminded her to spread the word.

“While we’re waiting, can I take a moment to compliment that bracelet?” the mayor asked, turning back to the princesses.

“Oh… uh, yeah. My father gave it to me,” Eirika told him truthfully.

“Certainly a fine trinket. But I’d take care wearing it so openly around these parts. Since Renais fell, bandits and brigands have been raiding villages across the country. By far the cruellest, at least to my knowledge, are Bazba’s crew. Once they find something they like, it takes a strong village watchman to stop him from claiming it- and even that’s a crapshoot. And woe betide the poor lasses that don’t have one of those nearby… I’ve heard ugly rumours about them,” the mayor explained.

“How awful…” Tana cried. Eirika was lost for words. This was her country, after all.

“Yes, Renais’s future looks bleak, all right. Grado saw to that. Most folk want to put faith in Prince Ephraim to strike a decisive blow and win back our country, but… things don’t seem to be going that way,” the mayor added.

“Ephraim!” Tana exclaimed.

“Skye, relax! Ephraim will make it out alive! Please excuse my sister, sir,” Eirika quickly added. The mayor nodded, and Eirika pulled Tana away, before she busted their disguise.

“Mister Mayor, since my charges will be entering such hostile territory soon, I would like to know… from what source did this news come to your ears?” Seth asked.

“My, you’re a prudent one. But if you’re caring for girls as beautiful as that, can’t say I blame ya! As for how I come by this information… it’s mostly been hearsay and such. But the bandits are definitely there- I knew a lass who disappeared thanks to them. News of Ephraim’s wellbeing, on the other hand… it’s been repeated a few times. I’d take it with a grain of salt, but no more than that,” the mayor suggested. Seth nodded, agreeing with the man’s reasoning. If multiple people repeated a fact, it was much more likely to hold a grain of truth to it. And while it was true that Ephraim was a skilled soldier… there was only one of him. And losses to his unit of cavalry would definitely be construed by the average citizen to be signs of bad news.

“My thanks for your words, kind mayor. I’ll need to grab the food before I leave,” Seth stated with an air of finality. The mayor nodded, and returned to his home.

* * *

 

“So… Princesses Eirika and Tana are with us, are they?” Garcia asked that night. Eirika and Tana themselves were a short distance away, still talking amongst themselves.

“Yes… are you saying that’s a bad thing?” Vanessa asked.

“Eh… a little, I suppose. Isn’t that a lot of eggs in the one basket?” Garcia pointed out.

“Well, I haven’t told her this yet, but Princess Tana shows fine potential as a pegasus rider. I know Hayden would be unlikely to allow her to serve an army proper, but with the correct training, I could see Tana surpassing myself,” Vanessa explained.

“And Eirika… she might not be all that great at fighting, but her tactics are something else. I wasn’t expecting her to pull what she did in order to save your village, but the plan worked surprisingly well. As she fights and witnesses common enemy movements, I’d say she’d become a great tactician,” Seth added.

“Heh, I’m sure you’re right about that…” Garcia chuckled.

“Besides, there’s no way we’d let them fall into danger!” Ross added.

“Attaboy, Ross,” Garcia joked, ruffling his hair.

* * *

 

“Are you ready, Eirika?” Ephraim asked, readying his lance. Eirika nodded, waving her practice sword gently.

“All right… but why do you wish to learn swordplay? I always thought you detested fighting,” Ephraim asked.

“No, what I detest is uncivilised battle. I believe a strong argument will always be a more potent weapon than a blade. But yet… you have always found it necessary to level your lance to defend me. I thought, if I learned the ways of the sword, I could ease your burden… and I hope that, by learning swordplay, I could cover any axemen you might face. That’s the weapon triangle at work, right?” Eirika explained. Ephraim sighed.

“Just using a sword isn’t going to be enough to best an axe. You’ve seen me best plenty of axes with a lance- it’s only slightly harder. But I’m your brother. Brothers are meant to protect their sisters, and that’s that. I don’t want you thinking that I expect anything in return for your safety,” Ephraim told her.

“Well, sisters are meant to worry about their brothers. I want to make sure you stay safe, and if that means learning swordplay to cover your back in the occasional scrape, well… that’s what I have to do. Please, Ephraim… it’s for my peace of mind,” Eirika told her.

“All right, all right. I guess at some point I should recognise that you hold firmly onto ideas that get into your head. I suppose it runs in the family. We begin our match now… and I’m not holding back because you’re my sister. And I don’t want any complaints, either,” Ephraim told her.

“I don’t want any complaints out of you!” Eirika sent back, charging.

“Tee hee… you and Ephraim really do trust one another,” Tana giggled. The thought of Eirika being the one to blindly charge into something was just… strange, to her.

“Yeah. I understand you and Innes are not nearly as close?” Eirika asked.

“Not even on the same planet. Though, to be fair to him, an archer against a pegasus knight does seem incredibly one sided,” Tana remarked.

“And besides, Ephraim and I are twins. I think that ties us much closer together. Though speaking of training… I want to make a request of you,” Eirika said.

“A request?” Tana asked, raising an eyebrow. She wasn’t sure what idea Eirika possessed that would involve training.

“…I would like to ask if you could practice swordplay with Seth and I,” Eirika suggested. Tana continued looking confused.

“That’s a little odd… I’d have thought it’d be bigger,” Tana commented. Eirika realised that Tana must’ve misunderstood the request.

“No, I mean… learn swords,” Eirika elaborated. Tana’s eyes widened, and she nodded in understanding.

“So, you want me to learn swords… so I can get the upper hand on axes and such? All right, I’ll take you up on that… but why me? Why not Vanessa?” Tana replied.

“From my understanding, you haven’t been training long. It is because I have been taught to wield a sword a bit like a lance that I lose the advantages of swordplay. Since your skill with lances is much less honed than that of Vanessa’s, I’d expect switching to swordplay would be much less jarring,” Eirika explained. Tana nodded.

“Then I accept your offer. Though forgive me if I continue to practice with the javelin,” Tana stated.

“Of course. I’ve been considering picking the javelin up myself…” Eirika responded. She felt a jolt from behind, and stumbled. She was caught by the bumper, and steadied by his hand.

“Begging your pardon,” the bumper apologised, disappearing almost as soon as he appeared. Tana had been staring in Eirika’s direction the entire time, and she’d be hard-pressed to describe the bumper.

“Eirika, are you all right?” Tana asked. Eirika nodded, checking herself for anything that might’ve happened.

“Wait a minute… what happened to my bracelet?” Eirika asked. Tana’s eyes darted to Eirika’s left wrist. Sure enough, the Lunar Brace was gone.

“That jerk… don’t worry, Eirika, I’ll get your bracelet back!” Tana exclaimed triumphantly. Her voice carried over to the camp.

“No, don’t bother. The bracelet was nice, but it’s only a sentimental trinket. Ephraim needs us more,” Eirika told her.

“No, Princess… I agree with Tana. We’ve got to retrieve the Lunar Brace regardless of cost,” Seth stated, walking up to the pair.

“Oh, all right, if you say so…” Eirika conceded. So much effort over a simple memento…


	4. Cruelty of Loss

_ Eirika and company pursue the thief who stole the Lunar Brace. The chase leads them to the mountains, where Bazba’s bandits pillage and plunder and do far worse. Eirika cannot ignore the plea for help Renais echoes in her ears- she leads the group in search of the bandit stronghold. _

* * *

 

“Hey,” a raspy voice called. Neimi looked up into the trees, and noticed Colm hiding within them. She waved him down, and he darted across to her side in the time it took her to blink.

“What do you have to say this time, Colm?” Neimi asked, her grip on her bow still tight. She had no intention of shooting Colm, but the boy didn’t need to know that.

“I got you a gift, actually. Two, come to think of it…” Colm told her. He handed Neimi the one he took intentionally- a silver bracelet patterned with the phases of the moon. Neimi took one look at it and knew it was stolen, but decided she didn’t care- Colm deserved this victory, after everything he had managed.

“And the second thing?” Neimi asked. Colm pulled at his collar.

“If it’s about who you stole it from…” Neimi started, knowing why Colm hesitated.

“She’s approaching this location with a small army. I suspect that she thinks Bazba took it. This might be our chance to defeat that bastard and save everyone…” Colm explained. Neimi thought about all her friends, still locked within the place’s dark basement. Colm hadn’t told her what happened to them, but Neimi could imagine it well enough.

“All right. I’ll go give them a hand, telling them what you’ve told me about the place. And if they succeed, I’m returning that woman’s bracelet,” Neimi explained.

“…I guess it’s yours to do as you please. Well, I’ll be helping myself to whatever I can get, now that Bazba’s going to be distracted. I’d tell you to warn that group to not attack me if they see me, but that would imply they might see me,” Colm boasted. Neimi shook her head, smiling slightly.

“Trust me, I’ll be warning them. Once they realise you’re the one who stole the bracelet, they mightn’t care that you’re technically on their side,” Neimi told him. Colm shrugged, and the two parted ways to do what they had agreed to do.

* * *

 

Eirika followed Ross along the mountain path, everyone else following shortly after. Eirika stopped Ross as they reached the end of it- the tracking skills no longer needed. Bazba’s base stood before them, menacing were it not for the patches of wood covering holes.

“I still can’t believe that there are bandits residing here… here in Renais…” Eirika muttered to herself.

“It wasn’t always like this, Princess. There was always a knight somewhere nearby, so law and order were always at hand. After those Grado guys attacked, though, those knights don’t come by much anymore… and the brigands come by replacing ‘em,” Ross told her.

“It seems that Grado does not care for caring for this territory… it seems that the land will continue its spiral into savagery,” Seth added. Eirika let out a sob.

“Um… pardon me…” a girl’s voice called out. Seth turned to her, and measured her up. She was wearing a simple archer’s outfit, fashioned out of something else. But it wasn’t her outfit nor her tearful face that caught his eye. Instead, it was her left wrist.

“So you’re the one who stole Eirika’s bracelet, are you?” Seth asked coolly.

“N-no… I… I need your help…” the archer stuttered out.

“Could you please tell us the whole story?” Eirika asked, holding Seth back. The archer sniffed, and nodded.

“My… my name is Neimi… I come from a village named Lark… well, Lark’s not around anymore… Bazba’s bandits burned it down. Grandpa tried to save it, but he wasn’t enough. Me and a few other girls were taken to the hideout and… uh…” she began, before letting out a huge wail. Garcia rushed up to put an arm around her.

“My… I had an idea, but…” Tana muttered, stepping slightly closer to Eirika. Eirika accepted her hand, clenching it tightly.

“…You may want to move on from that part…” Eirika muttered in the same tone. Neimi nodded, still drawing comfort from Garcia.

“It wasn’t just our village… a few others were down there… but after a while, Colm came… Colm was a boy from Lark… he apparently fancied me, even before my capture, and took me out of that place… he cared for me… but I couldn’t leave this place. All those girls are still here… I can still hear their screams… and I don’t know if that’s just in my dreams…” Neimi continued.

“I understand your plight. But you haven’t explained why you have the Lunar Brace,” Seth added in a harsh tone.

“Seth…” Eirika started, but Neimi cut him off.

“Colm gave it to me… he’s a thief, and he steals a bit too much for my liking… but he’s the only friend I have, so I don’t hate him too much for it…” Neimi told him.

“That may be, but it doesn’t change the fact that that bracelet is of great importance. Hand it over,” Seth ordered. Neimi stepped back, hand on her bow. Tana and Vanessa instinctively made themselves less of a target.

“…I was going to return it. But there’s something I need you to do in return… please. Please destroy Bazba and his crew, and rescue my friends,” Neimi requested. Seth made to advance, but Eirika held up her hand.

“I accept your proposal,” Eirika told her.

“Thank you thankyou thankyou thankyou!” Neimi squealed, running up and hugging Eirika in her excitement. Seth slowly reached across, but Neimi got over her excitement and stepped back before Seth could claim the Lunar Brace. Seth hurriedly covered up his movement by trying to change to giving Eirika a one-armed hug of his own, but the movement sent him falling off his horse.

“Don’t bother, Eirika… I’ll get myself up,” Seth muttered to himself. Eirika made sure she was turned away from him before she started giggling.

“So… what’s our plan of attack?” Eirika asked.

“Plan? Oh… I, uh… they didn’t show me much… and Colm doesn’t let me in…” Neimi stuttered. Eirika nodded. Tana, confident in the lack of archers (for the moment) shot to the skies, but came down disappointed.

“Can’t offer a bird’s eye view,” Tana told her. Eirika considered her options. Franz, Seth, and questionably herself remained the only sword-users against bandits who favoured axes. Ross and Garcia being axe-users themselves levelled the playing field, but their continued dependence on lances left them at a slight disadvantage. Neimi would just be plain screwed, having to aim arrows around her allies in a cramped space.

“We need some kind of tactical advantage… the roof makes things a lot… wait a minute…” Eirika muttered. She looked around the building. The ramshackle nature, far from just setting the mood, was now inspiring an idea.

“…If you don’t mind, Neimi, I’d like to ask a few questions…” Eirika stated. Neimi nodded, and Eirika led Neimi a short distance away.

* * *

 

“So, Eirika is indeed making her mark as a tactician,” Vanessa remarked to Seth, as the pair waited on Eirika and Neimi’s discussion of tactics. Eirika had drawn something in the dirt using a stick, and Neimi was clearly pointing out things for Eirika to draw and redraw.

“To be perfectly honest, I pulled that out of thin air. But I will admit, the idea does have merit,” Seth admitted. Neimi gasped quite loudly, but Eirika shook her head, and explained something.

“Has the head for tough choices, too, it seems,” Seth added.

“But the real question is then this- is she comfortable following through on those decisions?” Garcia asked. Seth gave a thought to the Eirika he knew. Eirika would’ve balked at the idea of suicide missions and sacrificial plays. It was only with extreme confidence that Eirika allowed Ephraim to go to Grado at all- and even that was with several tantrums. From what Seth could imagine, whatever shocking feature of Eirika’s plan would not involve anyone present being in  _ mortal _ danger.

“No, and I don’t think she’ll ever be. The  _ real _ question, Garcia, has always been ‘Is that a bad thing?’,” Seth explained. Garcia nodded, as she continued to watch Eirika’s explanation. Eirika swung the stick across, and Neimi watched the movement with wide, awe-filled eyes.

“When’s that plan gonna be done, hm?” Garcia asked, somewhat excited to hear what Eirika had in store. Considering Neimi seemed to be in agreement with Eirika’s words, it seemed that Eirika’s idea held water.

* * *

 

“All right. According to Neimi, this plan could conceivably succeed, so it’s time to explain it. Seth, Vanessa, and to a lesser extent Gilliam and Moulder, this first part  _ might _ be a little hard for you to accept…” Eirika started, having returned with the stick. Due to a lack of dirt in this area, there was to be no drawing.

“No, tell us the plan,” Seth insisted.

“All right. Tana, I’m going to need you to get captured,” Eirika said flatly. As predicted, the singled out people let out a simultaneous squawk of protest. Tana, however, remained thoughtful of the idea.

“Tana? You’re not seriously going to risk your best friend and the Princess of Frelia just for a bunch of girls, are you?” Gilliam asked.

“Please, Your Highness, allow me to replace her!” Vanessa added.

“Gilliam, Vanessa, well done. You have now told Neimi that two of us are princesses. I really do wonder why we bothered trying to set up an alibi,” Eirika snarked. Everyone settled down, though they were all clearly eager to hear the plan explained.

“All right… I chose Tana for two reasons. Reason number one, it’s imperative that we move as quickly as possible, and for that reason, we need to choose a girl who can quickly be identified as such. Vanessa, as much as I like your style, you do not fill that requirement,” Eirika started. Vanessa grumbled at the justification.

“Reason number two, Tana has had the most practice sneaking out of places, and Tana’s been practicing with a castle featuring a garrison larger than the population of this ramshackle hideout. As I said, we need to move quickly, and I trust Tana to manage an escape more quickly,” Eirika continued. Vanessa, again, grumbled, but this time at the reminder that Tana often sneaked away from Hayden. Her experience doing so, however, was apparently starting to pay off.

“Tana, what’s going to happen is that you will be captured, and taken to the place where all the girls are kept. According to Neimi, the girls are kept in check using largely threat of armed unknowns, discomfort and malnutrition- Bazba does not see the need to restrain them in any way, nor does he have the materials necessary to do so. Or at least, that last part’s what Neimi hears from Colm. Since none of those apply to you as a freshly captured warrior, you should be able to start work on a tunnel. See the west side of the building? That’s the best way to get the girls out of the basement,” Eirika told Tana. Tana nodded.

“But why not dig inwards?” Gilliam suggested.

“Once we are discovered, things will quickly get hairy. By digging outwards, Tana delays the time we get discovered until it is convenient to us,” Eirika explained.

“Besides, it gives Tana time to get help on the actual labour from the girls, as well as accounts for any resistance the wall offers,” Neimi added.

“A reasonable plan. But what of the bandits?” Moulder asked. Eirika pointed to Ross and Garcia.

“We’ll destroy their roof by the supports,” Eirika stated. Ross and Garcia could imagine the chaos. While Tana was destroying the building’s foundations, the axe strikes they would offer would weaken the integrity of the building, caving in and destroying whoever’s in it. Tana having to work around the presence of the brigands, meanwhile, was to save the women below from suffering the same fate.

“I think this plan could work,” Seth commented.

“Of course, me and Seth should definitely watch the exits for escapees,” Franz added. Eirika nodded, and Neimi and Gilliam was added to this duty. Eirika, Vanessa and Moulder, meanwhile, were to wait at the west, hidden, waiting for Tana’s escape to cue Ross and Garcia’s assault.

“…All right, Eirika. I’ll make you proud,” Tana said.

* * *

 

After a quick stop to change Tana’s gear from the iconic pegasus wear to something that looked more defenceless, the plan was ready. While everyone spread across to the various sides of the hideout to perform their roles, Tana walked across openly, making a lot of noise by snapping twigs and moving rocks around. It took a while, but a pair of brigands finally emerged from the place and approached Tana.

“Lookit this! A girl just walks on up!” one of the brigands exclaimed, running up to Tana. Tana at least made a token effort to swat him away and step back, careful not to actually bolt.

“You idiot! This is very definitely a trap!” the bigger of the two told him, swatting him in the back.

“Trap? I have no idea what you mean,” Tana stuttered out, wondering if Eirika’s plan had failed in that instant. Fear, both real and faked, kept her rooted to the spot, faith in Eirika’s plan forcing her to proceed. At the very least, Tana could hardly imagine another instance in which she would be silently pleading ‘please capture me’.

“Hm… seems genuine. All right, I’ll go and sample the merchandise, as it happens. You go make sure there’s no one about to cause a scene,” the larger brigand ordered. Tana let out a massive gasp, masking the smaller one Neimi made in the distance. But it was too late to change the plan- Tana was already being dragged into the hideout, and while Neimi had some of her grandfather’s skill, she would not have enough to save her- and then deal with the resulting alarm. She did, however, begin approaching the hideout, masking her approach with the shadows and the movement of the forest behind her. She didn’t know how her archery would help… but she had to do something. She knew Seth would catch the scout.

* * *

 

Tana was dragged through a few hallways, all the while Tana had all sorts of thoughts rushing through her head. She did try her hardest to keep track of which direction was west, but at best, this was a distraction from the very real fear before her.

_ Left, that’s north now… Right, back to east… west, that’s a… north, I think… _

Tana couldn’t afford to lose her direction. Digging through the wrong wall would be fatal. For her, for the girls locked up below…

_ Window… I think that’s west… sun sets in the… no, that’s east… and more turns! _

She had to remain distracted. She had to. She needed to know east from west. And she couldn’t think about what was happening to her. Foul hands were caressing places she didn’t think would be touched until she married Ephraim.

_ Two rights… the window was on the left… I think that means… uh… west is to the right? I… Ephraim… Ephraim, help… _

“Now then, pretty…” the brigand’s voice echoed in her ears. It was far away to her… her sense of direction was forgotten… all she could do was think of Ephraim. Imagine Ephraim instead of this brigand…

“Urk!” the bandit’s voice cried out. Tana was yanked from the fantasy she was forced to adopt, as the brigand looming over her felt at his throat. She could see blood gushing out at what was, at the very least, a lethal rate. Now that she wasn’t distracted, she looked down to notice her clothes were still only slightly torn- whatever had stopped the brigand had done it quickly.

“And  _ that _ is for missing  _ three _ of my payments,” the brigand’s assailant spat. Tana looked up at him. He was certainly a scrawny little runt, but what he had done to save her certainly made up for that. At least, that’s what she hoped.

“Are you going to lead me to the prisoners’ quarters?” Tana asked, her voice quavering.

“What? No… I’m gonna let you go!” her rescuer told her.

“No… I need to go to where the girls are. I’m breaking them out- this is a rescue mission,” Tana explained. Her rescuer stifled a laugh.

“Good job. Though Neimi did mention a group of mercenaries coming… I’m guessing that you’re in that gang?” the rescuer asked.

“Yeah. Skye, sister to Erina. We’re travelling, but when we heard bandits were operating in this place, we decided to come and stop them. This was Erina’s idea- I dig the girls out, and then our axemen destroy the building with the bandits inside,” Tana explained.

“Sounds solid. Well, I’ll take you to the compound, and finish stealing everything I can that’s not nailed down. Not many people nail their stuff down, so you’d be surprised what I can get away with when I say that,” her rescuer remarked.

* * *

 

Eirika watched the rock beneath the west wall with trepidation- Tana should’ve reached it by now. She saw the flicker in the corner of her eye that was Neimi meeting with her companion- Colm, if she remembered correctly- and Tana still had not appeared.

“Don’t worry, Princess…” Vanessa told her. Eirika took in a deep breath, nodding. She couldn’t compromise the mission… she had to wait for Tana. Tana had to come out of the wall… she had to have rescued the girls. She was just… lost, maybe.

“…Sorry, Eirika,” Eirika muttered, running towards the wall. An arrow flew above her, into a window that undoubtedly contained some kind of scout. Eirika heard the thudding of Garcia and the light-footed step of Ross. Her plan was starting… and Tana was still in there. Eirika started pulling away at the rock, digging her way in to meet Tana. Vanessa, realising that waiting would be the less beneficial course of action, started digging too. The pair pulled dirt away until… until…

“What happened to not digging in?” Tana asked. Eirika exhaled sharply, and fell into her arms, calling her name over and over again. Tana giggled, and stepped aside to allow all the girls to escape. Tana herself was the last to leave, pulling Eirika away just before the building above caved in on the basement below. Bazba’s Bandits were no more.

“We… we did it…” Eirika breathed excitedly.

“Yeah… plan went off without a hitch. Well, unless your rush caused a panic… which I can see from your face that it probably did,” Tana teased. Eirika found herself laughing, the tension and fear of losing her friend fading fast. Tana led Eirika up to see everyone else, who were gathering just outside the old hideout. As agreed, Vanessa and Moulder were tending to the girls that might have injuries, while Seth, Franz and Gilliam were simply returning from their positions. Garcia and Ross were stretching the kinks out of their muscles, and Neimi and Colm were having a discussion about a mirror- Neimi seemed really tearful upon holding it.

“All right, Neimi, that’s our part of the deal held up,” Seth remarked coolly, holding out his hand. Neimi nodded, and pulled off her bracelet, and handed it to Seth. Seth passed it back to Eirika immediately, and Tana helped Eirika slip it back on her wrist.

“So what’s to become of you?” Eirika asked. Colm turned to Neimi, who nervously gulped.

“…I want to join you. And I know Colm will follow me. Listen… my home was destroyed. I’ve no place to go. Meanwhile, I’ve picked up several skills that might help you on your journey, especially when it comes to recon. I can move across seemingly open plains without being detected- the pegasi can’t be beat in seeing formations, but they can be seen back. Plus, when it comes to indoors, you’re hosed. And Colm’s even better at both- he’s no great shakes at fighting, but he will loot the enemy’s pockets,” Neimi explained.

“More scouts… I suppose you can never have too many,” Seth commented.

“All right, you’re in. We’ll rest up here tonight. However, we’ll need to be gone by first light- we’ve got a long journey to make,” Eirika added. Neimi and Colm nodded, and began establishing their tents.

* * *

 

Tana parted from Eirika to go and attend to the girls she had rescued. After Vanessa and Moulder’s administrations, they were having a conversation amongst themselves, with Neimi and Colm adding their own input. Tana considered jumping in, before the choice was taken out of her hands.

“Skye! Come over here!” Neimi called out. Tana turned to Eirika, who was conversing with Seth, before joining them.

“So what are you lot up to? More importantly, how are we getting you home?” Tana asked.

“You don’t need to. They’re joining us,” Neimi told her. Tana took a second to consider that.

“Wait… what?” Tana finally responded.

“Sure, they’re untrained and malnourished. But they’re just like me- they’ve got no home. And even if they did, you’d have to escort them to avoid having them be captured by any other bandits operating in Renais- and there’ll be more. And I know you have a destination to reach quickly. Give me time with them, and I’ll have a force that can provide decent range with bows, javelins, and I think Sami in the back’s got some skill with magic. It’s not perfect, but we can contribute numbers, if nothing else,” Neimi explained. Tana thought it over- the idea had merit. Eirika had expressed interest in the javelin- this would be a good opportunity to do so. And they had yet to recruit a magician- and even if they did, more magic support was always a benefit. But there was one problem with Neimi’s plan.

“I’m not the one who can say yea or nay. That’s Erina’s call. But I like the idea, and I’ve already got ideas. I’m sure Erina’s will be better- and that’s an encouraging thought. Even if it’s a veto, though, learning how to defend yourself might get you… somewhere faster,” Tana told them.

“Yeah, not looking forward to a no. Put in a good word for us, though, will you?” Neimi asked. Tana beamed, and began to wave them goodbye.

“Skye… are you feeling all right?” Colm asked, out of the blue. Tana turned back to him.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Tana asked.

“Well… after what Bazba nearly did to you…” Colm trailed off. Tana turned to Eirika.

“…I’m fine. There’s no reason to tell Erina that happened. She’ll lose her confidence in tactics. Besides, I’m fine,” Tana insisted. All of the girls and Colm knew better, though.

“…If you’re sure…” Neimi told her.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at Gormlaithe, General Selena, the Fluorspar of the Grado army, had her own reservations about the bandits of Renais. She had reported such to another of the Imperial Three, General Duessel, the Obsidian. General Duessel’s expression expressed the thoughts that Selena expected he might.

“Hm… perhaps I should take initiative. I do not like seeing a country turn to rot,” Duessel remarked.

“I agree. The Vigarde that invaded Renais without warning, slaughtering and condemning to slaughter all those innocents… that’s not the Vigarde I swore my oath to,” Selena added.

“And those promotions…” Glen, the Sunstone, pitched in, joining the three. “Those three wandering around with the Imperial insignia and menacing titles…”

“But none of that matters. The fact remains that he is still our emperor. And we should treat him as such,” Selena stated with an air of finality.

“Speaking of which, Vigarde has issued a summons. We have something to learn from what happens next, regardless of how little we desire it to be truth,” Duessel explained. Selena and Glen nodded, and followed him to Vigarde’s throne room.

* * *

 

“I look upon you as three soldiers I can be proud of. Three highly trained, powerful-in-their-element, kings and queen of the battlefield. Obsidian Duessel- a Great Knight with mastery of the weapon triangle. Sunstone Glen- a Wyvern Lord that controls the skies. And Fluorspar Selena- a Mage Knight who’s magical assault stops the enemy’s advance,” Emperor Vigarde addressed, looking across the three as they stood proudly before him.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Duessel muttered.

“You are too kind,” Selena added.

“And your praise a tad high,” Glen chipped in.

“So it seems. Where Grado stood before, your strength was sufficient. But to satisfy the ambitions Grado faces today, more strength is required. To conquer Frelia, Jehanna and Rausten, we require a different approach. I have chosen to expand the Imperial Three into the Imperial Six- three soldiers have performed beyond expectation when Renais fell, and they shall be assisting you,” Vigarde explained. He snapped his fingers, and the throne room doors opened. Entering the room with a rather sloppy march were three faces. Three very different faces, but each one shared one common trait- all three pairs of eyes were those of disquiet. Of evil.

“Imperial Three, these are to be your new comrades. I trust they shall offer their own welcomes?” Vigarde asked. The one on the right, a somewhat shabby-looking mercenary, stepped forward.

“The name’s Tiger Eye Caellach… my axe is legendary, and my footing sure. I’m going to enjoy working with such esteemed individuals such as yourselves… especially Miss Selena there,” he spat. His tone was rough and coarse, sounding much like the driest, toughest part of Jehanna’s dunes. Next was the middle figure- clad in the robes of a bishop patterned in blood-red instead of the usual bluish white, the Imperial Three thought immediately of a priest of a dark cult rather than a warrior.

“I’m Blood Beryl Riev… I work best with those most arcane magics. Though I am a newcomer, I pray only for favour and success,” he hissed. He was very quiet- but the Imperial Three had no problems hanging on to his every word. As for the last figure… he needed no introductions. The pallid, familiar figure was recognisable enough.

“Greetings, Duessel, Glen. The Moonstone Valter has returned to the fold, and he’ll be sure to clean up the messes his replacement has forced you to leave,” Valter stated. Selena and Glen growled in anger, but Duessel held them back for his own word.

“Valter, your arrogance has always been your undoing. It would do you well to work on that,” Duessel told him. Valter shot Duessel a dark glare, but he did not dare act openly before the emperor.

“Now, my orders. Selena, Caellach, you are to conquer Frelia. The archer prince Innes has been a thorn in my efforts, but you shall counter his weaknesses, and destroy him,” Vigarde ordered.

“As you desire,” Selena stated, bowing.

“I’ll bring you his head on a platter,” Caellach added, not bothering with the bow. The pair left the room.

“Riev, Duessel, you are to stand in defence of the empire. Further orders pending,” Vigarde added.

“Heh heh heh… understood, Your Majesty,” Riev chuckled.

“By your leave, sire,” Duessel added, making sure to bow properly, before the two departed for setup.

“And me, Emperor?” Valter asked. Glen continued glaring. There was far too much bad blood on his departure from the Imperial Three to do otherwise.

“Glen, Valter… while we have conquered Renais, our objective in that country remains incomplete. Princess Eirika and Prince Ephraim continue to be thorns in our side. I want you to find them, and bring them to me. Dead or alive,” Vigarde ordered.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Valter stated, doing an exaggerated, almost mocking bow, before leaving the throne room. Glen grunted, gave Vigarde a nod, and followed.


	5. Battle With History

_ With the Lunar Brace recovered and a new army in tow, Eirika sets out with a new determination. Her route takes her through the ancient woods of Za'ha on the approach to Grado. The lack of Grado soldiers as they make their move does little to assuage many in the party. Indeed, what they face is certainly more terrifying than the Grado army. _

* * *

 

"And… fire!" Neimi called. Five arrows loosed in quick succession, all five hitting the target in a tight cluster. Seth nodded approvingly- Neimi's small force was certainly shaping up well.

"How are the javelinists doing?" Neimi asked, looking up.

"Basically the same. The training javelins get a little wonky to throw, but Vanessa taught them a trick to reuse them that I'd never have thought of," Seth remarked.

"And Eirika?" Neimi added. She knew Eirika was also training with the javelin, but her function as a unit was much different from the cohesive tactics Vanessa was teaching her own troops.

"…Less well. The technique seems to elude her, and her aim is abysmal," Seth admitted through the skin of his teeth. Speaking ill of his princess bit him harshly, even if he knew the lies would be worse.

"Well, not all soldiers are created equally. Besides, she's better hanging around in the back and directing the rest of us, not so much challenging the enemy herself. While the javelin is much more useful than the sword in that instance, I'd honestly say using either would be a last resort in the first place," Neimi observed.

"Where did you even learn this stuff about combat in the first place?" Seth asked.

"Wait, I've been doing well? I've honestly just been taking logical guesses based on what little I know from my grandfather's teachings- and he never actually fought in many battles against anything more dangerous than a bear," Neimi admitted. Seth nodded thoughtfully. Of course, he suspected Eirika's own ideas might've rubbed off on her, but in the end, he knew neither had formal training in tactics.

"Sir Seth! Vanessa has spotted enemies!" Franz cried out. Seth and Neimi turned to him. Franz was white as a sheet- not a good sign.

"What kind of enemies are we facing? Infantry? Cavalry? …Wyverns?" Seth asked.

"…You'd best take a peek yourself, then," Franz squeaked out. Seth was really curious as to what could possibly be more terrifying than Grado's wyverns.

* * *

 

"What in all of creation am I looking at here?" Eirika asked, looking across the clearing. It was completely filled with… monsters. There was no other word to describe them.

Foul, blood-stained shambling beasts filled the forces numerically. Their claws came down fiercely upon those poor souls who made their homes in this part of Za'ha woods. They were slow, but they were numerous.

Skeletons stood amongst the beasts. What they lacked in number, they made up for by using weapons of iron. Swords and lances, waved in practiced manners that got anyone they came across.

And last were the shapes that didn't even look human. They were eyeballs- one eyeball with a few tails, shooting evil glares at their victims. They wouldn't have been threatening were it not for the powerful magic said glares held, dissolving the victims, and the eerie manner in which they moved over the land, without a care for any thickets or rivers.

"So this is why Franz was so upset…" Neimi remarked.

"…How do we plan for this?" Tana asked. Eirika was thinking. However, the only plan to stop a relentless force of darkness seemed to be an equal relentless force. But the eyeballs gave her the most pause. Those monsters looked the most dangerous out of anything present- and her options for counterattacks were rather limited.

"Travellers! You must flee! Leave this place before the beasts devour you…" a voice exclaimed. Eirika looked around, and noticed a very dishevelled looking monk approach.

"And you are…" Eirika asked, turning to him. The monk stopped running, and brushed off some dirt from his light tome. It was in tatters, but it still shone with the light of magic.

"I am Artur. It is my job to deal with these monsters. However… I don't see that happening. There's just not enough of me to go around. I'd recommend fleeing while you are still able," the monk explained. Eirika looked around the battlefield. As she was doing so, one of the eyeballs approached the group.

" _ Lighting of the heavens, cleanse my foe!"  _ Artur casted, causing the eyeball to dissipate in a flash of white. The final piece of the puzzle clicked in Eirika's head.

"We won't retreat. Their talons may be deadly, but no more so than a Grado soldier's lance. They can bleed like men, and thus they will do so," Eirika ordered.

"Understood!" her troops called, and began their assault, spreading in multiple directions. Eirika, Tana and Neimi remained at the starting positions, as did Artur.

"Oh, thank goodness a pegasus knight remained. Listen… my companion lives in the south village. She's a very handy fighter, but in the chaos, I must've forgotten to tell her that there's a monster attack going on… would you be so kind as to enlist her?" Artur requested. Tana nodded, and prepared to fly.

"Wait… you  _ forgot _ to tell her? Aside from the obvious, how does one  _ miss _ this?" Tana asked quite loudly.

* * *

 

"Interesting… if that damage is multiplied by 3, and that is only multiplied by 2, then… wait, that can't be right…" the reclusive book-mage, Lute, muttered to herself, looking over her notes on powerful light magic. She flipped to another page in another book, and searched for the other section.

"If he takes this path… then he doesn't… but… hm…" Lute mused to herself. She dusted off her chalkboard, and began writing down a series of calculations.

"My mastery over anima magic will be sufficient… and then… one second…" Lute continued, poring over another book-  _ On The Scourge of Demons _ . She felt a tap on her shoulder, and jumped.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" Lute asked the intruder. Tana rolled her eyes.

"I've been knocking for the past five minutes. When Artur told me you got engrossed in your literature, I wasn't expecting  _ that _ . Anyway, Artur wants your help in defeating the monsters," Tana told her sternly.

"Wait, what monsters?" Lute asked curiously.

"…The ones attacking the forest! Seriously, how oblivious can you get?" Tana yelled. Lute went around her, and peeked out the door.

"Ah, revenants, bonewalkers… and possibly a mogall. Oh wait, those are definitely mogalls, and there's more than one. Hold on, I'll get my tomes…" Lute observed. Tana took her time to look on the forces she had left behind- the monsters seemed to have detected danger, and were changing from their widespread attack to a more focused one on Eirika's lines.

* * *

 

With Tana gone to fetch the mage Lute, Eirika had only one flyer- and with the pressing need for information, Vanessa found herself on scouting duty over actually employing her aerial advantage. Eirika would have used Colm, but the revenants had noticed Colm almost immediately, and he had to be very quickly rescued. Knowing this, Eirika retreated Neimi's archers and javelinists to the woods, concealing them from monster attacks while they rained arrows at masses of revenants. Seth and Gilliam worked as massive meat shields, drawing monsters to them and barely taking any armour scratches in return. Franz was performing hit and runs on the skeletons, while Ross and Garcia were taking a turn on defensive duty. Eirika could only hope this was enough, watching as Ross took a scratch too many and had to be withdrawn. The beast that attacked him advanced on one of Neimi's archers, only for one of Eirika's javelins to land before him. The monster had to reconsider his movements, exposing him for the few seconds Neimi needed to quickly shoot him.

Artur, meanwhile, was reciting his Lighting incantation over and over. His tome had long been exhausted of magical power, but by continuing to chant, he could perform the spell at less power. Eirika could tell that the magical exertion Artur was exerting was taking its toll, and the monsters he was attacking were taking less and less damage. Eirika knew she had to withdraw him… but how to cover him? Eirika looked towards the village- the beautiful wings of Achaeus weren't there. Eirika had no choice- she drew her rapier, and plunged to hold off the forces Artur was to stop. A beast lumbered up to her, and scratched her. The talon tore through the straps of her light armour, as well as damaging her arm, leg and lower body. Luckily, Artur's Lighting was enough to discourage a second scratch.

"Erina…" Artur spluttered.

"I couldn't let… Artur… Moulder… Moulder…" Eirika babbled. Artur nodded, pulling Eirika away from the lines. Neimi's call signalled that the javelinists would be reinforcing this position- neither were particularly great at close-quarter combat, but the javelinists were better than the archers. Moulder himself was looking around- the monsters seemed to overlook him, but that could change at any moment. With Eirika incapacitated, a change in momentum would be a nightmare- and Tana was still missing.

"My word, this  _ is _ serious…" a voice that was very familiar to Artur called from the other side of the beasts. They all turned in unison to face Lute, and Lute raised her hand.

" _ Fire of the sun, burn those who block your light!"  _ Lute casted. Fire appeared amongst the enemy ranks, burning several beasts in one strike. The bonewalkers turned to face the newcomer, only to come up against more fire. Lute's tome was completely fresh and full of magical power- and Lute's own magical prowess only added to that advantage. Lute's strength easily lay waste to the remaining beasts, and whatever attracted them like moths to flames made it easier by bunching them together in front of her.

"I'll burn the bones of the rest of them," Lute told them confidently. Seth, now that the danger had passed, ran to Eirika's side.

"Eir… Eirika…" Seth muttered, attempting to be quiet enough for Artur not to hear. Eirika looked up at him, and smiled.

"I'm… I'm not dead yet…" Eirika breathed. Seth, with permission from Moulder, scooped Eirika up, and pulled her into his arms.

"That was terrifying…" Artur remarked, looking across. Lute had already managed her task (probably because the corpses required were also bunched up), and was approaching as well.

"You were lucky to have fought only revenants. More powerful beasts lurk in what I had long believed to be only the foulest corners of the pages of history. Bonewalkers of some intelligence, mauthe doogs of quick fang, gargoyles of the air, baels of the mountainsides… and those are also of the easier bunch. Who knows what fouler beings are stirring. Do not expect future encounters to end as this one did," Lute harshly explained.

"We can only hope that this was an isolated incident… but there is no way for that to be the case," Artur added. Seth nodded in acceptance.

"Perhaps it would be wise to return to Frelia and reconsider our movements. Grado and these monsters will be beyond us…" Seth observed, turning to Eirika. Eirika was looking around.

"Where… where's Tana?" Eirika asked, the effects of her wound fading as fear replaced it. Vanessa, Gilliam and Moulder looked up, and followed her lead. While Tana had clearly roused Lute- or at least, they hoped that was the case- she seemed to have vanished. As Seth set Eirika down to start a search, someone approached. Sadly, there were no wings, but there were weapons.

"Hah! Foulest creatures from the darkest pits from whence you came, be proud to have been personally smitten by the great L'Arachel and her loyal companions!" the mounted figure commanded. Aside from the ridiculous nature of her line, Eirika's force found themselves stifling laughter due to the fact that this 'L'Arachel' character lacked weapons, not even magical tomes.

"…Wait, where are the monsters?" L'Arachel finally asked.

"I just disposed of them. What, would you have liked to share?" Lute asked.

"And where, do tell, were you when Eir- I mean Erina was mauled by that, err… revenant?" Seth added.

"Ah, my humblest apologies, sir knight. An uncomfortably dangerous mountain passage caused us to make an unnecessarily long detour, which must have taken us long enough that you were forced to miss my splendid battling skill. If you desire that I touch up your girlfriend, I can do that… but it's not as impressive as actually fighting," L'Arachel rambled.

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend… and no, she's fine," Seth told her curtly. Despite this, he pulled Eirika in closer.

"Gwah ha ha! What a shame, eh?" one of L'Arachel's companions roared. He was a large man with an impressive beard and a massive axe.

"I get dragged around by the ear for this?" the other snarked. He wore a more expensive variation of Colm's gear, and had knives at his hip.

"…Who are you?" Seth asked.

"Ah, where have my manners gallivanted off to? I am the very light that all of Rausten flocks towards, L-" L'Arachel started.

"Lady L'Arachel, best not to give your real name!" the bearded companion urged.

"Oh… right. Ah well… I guess you may call me Lara, as I ride off with my true identity wrapped in a romantic cloak of anonymity. Dozla! Rennac! Our destination awaits! May our paths cross again, strangers!" L'Arachel, or Lara, exclaimed. She turned her horse, and trotted away from the direction Eirika's group was travelling.

"Gwah ha ha! What a show! Rennac, get moving!" the bearded man, who must clearly be Dozla, called. He marched, and L'Arachel eventually had to come back to drag Rennac along behind the ear. Everyone was left staring at their retreating shapes.

"…I had mentioned something about Tana, didn't I?" Eirika asked, genuine confusion still in her voice. Everyone dropped their attention on L'Arachel and started wondering about Tana.

"Perhaps we might find clues at my place? I'll need to grab my books anyway," Lute suggested.

* * *

 

Eirika (leaning on Seth), Artur and Lute entered Lute's house. It was papers and books everywhere, both of which were being magicked by Lute into smaller sizes and packed into a satchel. Seth watched her do so, while Eirika, aided by Artur, started looking around.

"Oh, why are my divination rods on the floor?" Artur asked, scooping up a pair of odd-looking sticks. Lute looked up.

"I dunno, Tana probably used them while I was looking for my Fire tome. You know I don't believe in that divination mumbo-jumbo," Lute scoffed. Eirika raised her eyebrow.

"Divination rods? What do they do?" Eirika asked.

"It's quite simple. You hold the rod firmly in your dominant hand, and focus on something. This rod will show you the past, and this one the future, of that 'thing' you focused on," Artur explained. Eirika took the past rod, and focused on herself five minutes ago. Sure enough, she saw, in her mind's eye, the revenant's claw.

"Does the future rod work?" Eirika asked. She could see uses for it.

"That's the thing… divining the future and the idea of 'free will' are constantly at odds with each other… so the divining rod only has a suggestion of the most likely event to occur given the personalities and knowledges of all participating parties. Thing is, even if you try to divine something you'll have no hand in, that's only about a 75% accurate vision at best… so I just use it as an advisor, not a director," Artur explained. Eirika nodded, accepting that. She highly doubted an artefact that could predict the future accurately could exist.

"…Wait a minute… Tana wouldn't know that, would she?" Eirika asked. Artur took the past rod into his right hand, and focused.

"…No… she took the rods, her eyes widened, and then she bolted. It looks like the future rod was in her right hand…" Artur observed.

"So, if Tana is chasing something…" Eirika muttered, trying to figure out where she went.

"Nothing changes," Seth remarked. Eirika turned to him.

"The most likely thought on her mind was Prince Ephraim- and if Tana sensed he was in danger and bolted, she'll have gone to his side. And regardless of whether she was captured or successful, our goal remains the same. Any other instance would have her heading home to Frelia, or in some other safe place in which we do not need to look," Seth observed. Eirika shivered slightly- the thought of Grado capturing her shook her quite well.

"So, are you two coming?" Eirika asked Artur and Lute. Lute looked down at her satchel.

"I'd hope so, otherwise I'd have to unpack all my books," Lute told her. Artur looked at the satchel, and then back at Lute's shelves and desk space.

"Are you bringing your entire library?" Artur asked.

"Of course not- I'm focusing on the big ones.  _ Art of War _ ,  _ Classes of Infantry _ … even some light reading. I'm leaving behind the books I don't think will help," Lute stated. Artur turned to her shelves.

"The only book I see is this one on romance. And also this one here…?" Artur asked.

"That's a derivative piece of junk, and I don't want to force someone else to pay money for it," Lute insisted. Artur sighed.

"…I guess as long as that satchel's not breaking your back…" Artur told her.

* * *

 

Eirika sat down, watching ripples she cast in the pond with her scratched leg. Tana was gone, running away on some uncertain advice from an inanimate object, and she remained on a march harried by man and monster alike. It was not until now, that Tana's bright optimism and beautiful remarks had been taken away, that Eirika realised just how much she'd miss her. Tana had been their friend for many years…

"Happy birthday, Princess Tana," Eirika wished to the neighbouring country's princess, as her father had instructed her to do. Young Tana giggled at the sight.

"Oh, come on, there's no need for that. You're just like me- wanna play with me?" Tana asked, her childishness not at all marked by the thirteenth birthday the place was celebrating.

"All right, sure. Can Ephraim come?" Eirika asked, looking around. The two princesses saw Innes approach Prince Ephraim, and slap him with a gauntlet.

"…Oh, Innes, for once in your life, can you give me time to make friends? Ah well, I guess if we sneak out now, there's a lot we can see before our dads stop watching them and notice we're gone," Tana told her. Eirika giggled, and followed Tana away from the festivities. They took great pains to avoid the targets set up for Innes and Ephraim's archery.

"So, what's your brother like?" Tana asked.

Eirika paused in her contemplation, coming to a realisation. Tana was always interested in Ephraim. Sure, the smiles they had shared, the laughter they had… but in the end, while Eirika was being attacked by monsters, Tana rushed to Ephraim's aid. Eirika looked down at her reflection in the water. She wanted to hate her… but something stopped her.

"Princess Eirika…" Vanessa's voice called. Vanessa… the woman who taught Tana the pegasus.

"Vanessa…" Eirika started, unsure how to continue. Unsure if she wanted to continue.

"Eirika… you're worried about Tana, aren't you?" Vanessa asked. Eirika turned back to the water.

"…She prefers my brother, doesn't she?" Eirika asked. Silence from Vanessa.

"I cannot deny that her affection for Prince Ephraim is much stronger than her liking of anyone else. I'd believe it if you told me she likes him more than her own father. But just because her feelings for  _ Ephraim _ are strong… you should not discount her caring for others. If optimism were a person, it would be Tana. She likes you very much," Vanessa told Eirika, her thoughts coming out slowly. Eirika nodded, hearing everything Vanessa told her- even what she didn't say.

"…I'll hear Tana out before I judge her…" Eirika murmured.

And yet, Eirika doubted very much whether she could find it in her heart to hate her friend.


	6. Making a Name

_ An ominous wave of dark creatures makes a return from history’s foulest pages… the journey Eirika must take to find Ephraim and Tana grows more perilous for all involved. Despite the danger, Eirika presses on to aid her brother. The town of Serafew, lying on Renais and Grado’s border, once shared a prosperous role as a place where the two countries’ citizens could meet. It stands as a testament to the two countries’ friendship- and the Grado soldiers that now prowl within stand as a testament to how that friendship has shattered. _

* * *

 

The mercenary looked around the town. This was his first day participating in the war between Renais and Grado. As a Jehannan, he had no stake in either side, but work was work. More money to fund his favourite pastime.

“Oh, hey, an arena? Perfect- my pocket’s feeling a little light. Let’s see what kind of money I can pull here,” the mercenary chuckled. Gambling was always exciting, no matter what the wager was on… though if there was anything that could distract him, it would be this. A woman- of the cloth, it appeared- was peeking around town, watching the Grado patrols from the safety of an unused alley. Her golden locks fell down her face so elegantly… and the fear in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

“Something amiss, Sister?” the mercenary asked, leaning against a wall. The cleric jumped, noticing him standing there. She swept her hair out from over her face compulsively.

“P-P-Pardon me, sir…” the cleric told him.

“No, the fault is mine for startling you so. You look troubled… need a hand?” the mercenary asked.

“It’s fine, sir… I’ll make do…” the cleric assured him, darting across once there were no Grado soldiers watching her. But the mercenary was.

“Hm… not my lucky day, it seems. But I wonder… if I pull myself away from the arena… maybe I could turn this misfortune into fortune?” the mercenary asked himself. He sheathed his lucky sword, and began following the woman at a steady pace.

* * *

 

Captain Saar finished off a serving of his favourite food- fries. Serafew was famous for them, and a food that could be eaten while on the beat was always a nice thing for a soldier like himself to have. He looked up, and thanked his stars- he had finished that food just before the Sunstone appeared. Eating while receiving orders was quite rude, but Saar hated to see a dish sitting around not being eaten. He threw the container into a nearby bush, and Glen landed before him.

“Captain Saar. My apologies for distracting you from… your food. But there are two wanted fugitives in the area, and it is my request that you locate and capture them,” Glen told him. Saar tilted his head.

“And who is it I’ll be finding and capturing, then?” Saar asked.

“Princess Eirika of Renais, and a Sister of Grado’s convent. I have not been entrusted with her name, but I’m informed that she’ll be easy to recognise without one,” Glen stated.

“Understood. Find and locate the princess and the sister. Betrayal of the Empire shall be met with blood. Will you be joining us, Sunstone?” Saar asked. Glen eyed the trash littering Serafew.

“No thanks. There are reports of a powerful pegasus knight charging on Grado elsewhere, striking undefended outposts. She’s only going to get stronger with experience, and it’ll be a good idea to counter her movement with two other wyverns- me and my brother Cormag,” Glen stated.

“Fair’s fair. His Majesty trusts you, after all. I shall demonstrate that I, too, am worthy of trust. May your errant pegasus knight not cause you too much ill,” Saar wished.

“I should hope so,” Glen told him, and Saar left to establish an order for his goal. Cormag flew up to his brother.

“Glen, I have just received word that the pegasus knight struck the Eagle outpost, and may have taken an elysian whip. We leave her too much longer, she could easily wipe out positions much more reinforced than outposts,” Cormag reported.

“Understood. Well, no time like the present to leave this filth. Pardon my language, Cormag, but I just can’t stand seeing what Grado’s done to this place. Ah, well… like you said, there’s a pegasus knight with an elysian whip running around unchecked,” Glen told him. The two brothers set for the air, making their way to outpost Drake- a position that had yet to be attacked, and was likely to be the next target of the wayward pegasus.

* * *

 

Eirika and Seth approached Serafew, Eirika on the back of Seth’s horse. Slight wincing during an attempted march had caused Seth to insist she ride double. Accompanying them were Neimi and Vanessa, for scouting. Neimi was wearing a new cloak, dappled in greens and greys, at the insistence of Lute.

“Serafew… how you have changed…” Eirika remarked.

“Correct. I don’t remember walls and border guards stationed here…” Seth added.

“And thus, the place is under the thumb of Grado’s emperor, the peace it once extolled lost…” Vanessa poetically claimed. Neimi peered at the city. With her archer’s vision, she boasted an impressive vision range as well as the stealth to move close.

“The town seems rather light on patrol… not a whole lot of enemies. It seems they’re mobilising… wish I had the ears to go along with these eyes, but whatever,” Neimi remarked.

“No, that intel’s pretty good,” Eirika insisted. Even though they were fairly close, Eirika would be hard pressed to identify that much. They considered their options, paying no mind to the man passing by looking for a young girl with indigo hair- the only one they knew was Tana, and that much wasn’t likely.

“That’s her! That has to be the Sister! Capture her at once!” a soldier’s voice boomed. Everyone jumped- and Eirika fell off Seth’s horse as a result.

“You lot, get everyone up to Serafew at once! I’ll scope out the damage,” Neimi instructed.

“But if they find you…” Vanessa started.

“That’s a big ‘if’. And the faster you move, the less time they have. GO!” Neimi yelled. The three bolted back, and Neimi moved forward. Her cowl went up to cover her face, and she moved with both care and speed. It wouldn’t do to be discovered after that boast.

* * *

 

Neimi approached the soldiers, who were surrounding a cleric. One such soldier was standing before her, while two more had her arms pinned behind her back. Neimi was close enough to hear an explanation, which came at a price- her archery would not have much of a chance to shine.

“Traitor of Grado, you are to surrender. Do so peacefully, and you may have the chance to explain yourself before His Majesty,” the soldier said.

“Please, listen to me! That’s not your Emperor on the throne. That’s a foul shadow of his former self! Please, you MUST see that this war is an insult to his memory!” the cleric begged.

“Still your tongue. Our orders were to capture you, but we have our ways of making sure you stay in line,” the soldier said. Neimi wasn’t sure what happened next- all she knew was that she had heard words she had thought she’d never have to hear again after being rescued by Colm. The next conscious second Neimi registered, every soldier surrounding Natasha either had an arrow in their throat or between their eyes- with the exception of a few that had been killed by one of the mercenaries in Grado’s employ. Neimi looked up at the man in awe, as he looked between the two women.

“Right… with what’s going on in Grado right now, I don’t feel safe gallivanting off this job without formal leave. At the same time, the only reason I came here was to aid you… hm… how ‘bout a wager, milady?” the mercenary asked.

“A wager?” the cleric asked with some concern.

“I flip a coin. If it lands on your call, I’ll keep you company while we fill out whatever mission you’re thinking of. If it lands on the other end, I turn a blind eye, but remain here in Grado’s employ. What’s it to be?” the mercenary asked.

“…Heads… no, wait, tails!” the cleric called, her hand over her mouth in what Neimi suspected was concern. The mercenary pulled out his coin, and flicked it into the air. It spun end over end, and Neimi’s eyes narrowed. The coin landed on the cobblestone, rolling around until it tipped over and landed at the cleric’s feet. The cleric didn’t recognise the coin, but she did know she was looking at the tail face.

“Tails,” she told him. Neimi scooped up the coin, checked the coin’s reverse end surreptitiously, and returned it to the mercenary.

“Guess that means I’m aiding you. I’ve been on a disadvantageous streak all day, but it’s my rule as a gambler to never worm out of a bet. Very well… Joshua, the criticutter extraordinaire, at your service, Sister!” the mercenary announced.

“Sister Natasha, ex-cleric of the convent of Grado. Probably excommunicated, but if I can find another home, I know Eizariya will see that it was for her ideals that I did so,” the cleric introduced.

“CO Neimi, Scouting Chief for Princess Eirika. I’m normally an intel scout, but I’d imagine they’d make room for two fugitives of Grado’s forces like yourselves on my word- and that explanation of what Emperor Vigarde’s deal is will help her very much,” Neimi stated.

“Right, thank you. Ol’ Captain Saar will probably summon more men to fight, and I’d imagine a myrmidon and an archer best not find themselves in the middle of that. Let’s go see that Princess,” Joshua told them. Neimi nodded, and showed them a stealthy route out- just as the reinforcements began their approach.

* * *

 

Eirika had assembled her force outside the area. While they were waiting for Neimi, Lute was sizing up Ross, debating whether to showcase something she had learned from  _ Classes of Infantry _ .

“…All right, what is it?” Ross asked, impatient with Lute’s staring.

“You may be weak on the outside, but on the inside is a hardened warrior, waiting for the experience required to blossom… axeman, I believe it’s time for you to change class,” Lute stated.

“Change class? But that could take weeks… scratch that, that  _ will _ take weeks!” Seth exclaimed. Lute shook her head.

“Only when performed normally. This book might seem like a normal textbook advertising the strengths and weaknesses of various classes… but by studying the book carefully and comparing it against my other utility spells, I have perfected magic that will allow me to class change a target within minutes! …Granted, it takes a few days for the body and mind to adjust to the new muscle memory and practice of their new class, but with Ross here, that’s not as big an issue,” Lute explained. Garcia was about to protest, but Ross stopped him.

“All right, I’d buy that… but why would I want to do it?” Ross asked. Lute rolled her eyes.

“Many struggle with class changing. Those who perfect their class naturally tend to adapt to their natural growth- an archer becomes a sniper, a myrmidon into a swordmaster, a pegasus knight into a falcoknight. But using the sidestep I’ve developed, I can allow class changes into much more interesting positions. Well… one more interesting position, but it’s better than natural. With that said, you don’t seem to fit the description of a ‘fighter’ type class. Which means that you’ll probably class change to ‘fighter’ naturally… by my calculations, my alternate promotion path should take you to the ‘pirate’ type. Pirates are much like fighters, except their naval abilities far surpass other ground units,” Lute explained. Ross thought this through. Lute sounded confident in it- but then again, she sounded confident most of the time. It should work… and if it did, being able to flank across rivers seemed a handy bonus.

“Very well. If you can class me up, then I’ll take that ‘pirate’ class. See if your words are more than just that,” Ross told her, stating his disbelief.

“Magic is just words. But very well…  _ In this situation to come, this class will not do. Promote your ability from that of Journeyman to that of Pirate _ ,” Lute muttered. A golden bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, striking Ross straight in the head. Ross dropped to his knees, feeling muscle build in his arms spontaneously. The axe in his hand shook, and split in two. His boots, very light-going, felt like they were growing heavier- waterproof, even.

“Ross!” Garcia called out.

“Why does this always happen? All right, note to self, always do it after battle,” Lute muttered, watching as Ross’s changes began to settle. Ross, now with much more body weight than he was used to, struggled to get to his feet. Neimi approached at that moment, looking between Lute, Garcia and Ross with some confusion.

“…Will I regret asking what I’m looking at?” Neimi asked. Her answer was a resounding yes.

“Figures… anyway, Serafew’s patrols are searching for Princess Eirika as well as this cleric, Sister Natasha. She’ll explain why after the battle,” Neimi explained. Eirika nodded, and with Vanessa’s observations, drew up a map to begin forming a battle plan.

* * *

 

Glen and Cormag watched the outpost from afar. This was a naval base, built for shipping soldiers around. In watching the movements of the sailors, Glen often wondered what a ship that had weapons could do.

“Pegasus knight at two o’clock,” Cormag called. Glen looked up, and saw her too. Her white wings made her stand out, but really, considering her reputation, that wasn’t really going to cost her anything. After all, the units she had to worry about were the wyverns just around the corner.

“When do we pounce?” Cormag asked.

“Wait for it…” Glen muttered. The pegasus tossed several javelins, sowing confusion amongst the Grado army. As the soldiers jumped to action, Glen and Cormag began a flanking movement. As the pegasus engaged with the front forces, the plan was to surprise her with wyverns from the back. The knight may have been powerful, but there was only one of her.

Unfortunately, that was their mistake.

Glen led the charge on the pegasus knight, Cormag following close behind to discourage pursuit. By the time they were close enough to get a secure visual, it was too late to change this plan- and the pegasus knight had finished. She looked at the two wyverns thoughtfully.

“You look promoted… wait, are you one of the Imperial Three?” the pegasus knight asked. Glen was taken aback by the pegasus knight’s forwardness- but she had slaughtered many Grado soldiers, and she needed her comeuppance.

“I am Glen, the Sunstone. And this is my brother- not a member of the Imperials, but as skilled nonetheless. We understand that you’ve been running around and killing our men,” Glen told her.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re not very happy about that. I do have an explanation, but it’s not likely to inspire a lot of sympathy from you. Now, I challenge you to battle- I have my reasons,” the pegasus knight exclaimed. Glen wondered why the pegasus knight was being so blasé about being cornered. Only once she grabbed a set of spears to throw that Glen realised- he wasn’t looking at a pegasus knight anymore.

This was a falcoknight.

“Cormag, retreat! I’ll hold her off!” Glen called out.

“No way, brother! We fight together, or we retreat together. Besides, it’s only one pegasus to our two wyverns! We have the advantage!” Cormag retorted. The falcoknight’s attack shot forward, striking Cormag’s wyvern in the neck. Cormag was forced to ground himself, and the falcoknight took another spear. Glen yelped, and blocked that spear with his own wyvern, making sure to take the blow to the tough scales that made wyverns superior to pegasi.

“We both retreat. As much as I hate to admit it, we’re probably going to need Valter on top of reinforcements,” Glen sighed.

“Valter… oh my goodness!” the falcoknight exclaimed, darting off. Cormag watched her go, wondering if they were to ever encounter one another again.

“On second thoughts, we’ll patch up here,” Glen decided, knowing the wyverns needed rest. Glen was all right losing intel on the falcoknight’s movements- from the sounds of it, Valter would be taking over that duty. Whether he liked it or not.

* * *

 

Eirika observed the advance on Serafew. With cautious movement forward and backward, the main frontliners were able to keep a steady pace through the village watch. As previously observed, the guard was rather light. Now, if Joshua was still running around unchecked for Grado, that’d be a different story. But since Joshua was running rampant for Renais, all it did was make a relatively simple charge even simpler.

“Hello, girl,” a sinister voice chuckled. Eirika turned, and noticed a heavy infantry unit standing behind her. Eirika pulled out her rapier, wincing as her scar troubled her movement.

“Interesting distraction tactic. I question why you sent an armour knight to run it, but you’re here now,” Eirika told him scathingly.

“A lone armoured soldier is more dangerous than any old soldier with their easier movement once it arrives,” the armoured man told her.

“No, they’re more durable,” Eirika taunted. She stepped back, and slid forward with her Rapier. Learning from her mistake at Mulan, she aimed not for an injury-causing blow, but for the neck. Knowing her own injury, she could hardly afford to engage in a drawn-out confrontation. In his last breath, the armour knight proved that Eirika was wrong- armoured infantry weren’t durable when approached correctly. Whether Eirika wanted to be the one to make said approach mattered entirely on whether her injury healed and made confrontations that didn’t end with the first blow acceptable.

“Princess, the forces have been… oh my goodness! Eirika, are you hurt?” Seth called, the first to return to the rear lines. He rushed forward, looking Eirika over like an overprotective mother. Eirika allowed it, mostly to make sure there was nothing dangerous. She wanted to know whether holding her own was a wise idea in future.

“As it remains, you have saved me and silenced a Grado force that knew of my movements. I am in your debt,” Natasha told them. Eirika nodded.

“Now why don’t you explain that thing about Vigarde?” Eirika asked. Most of the army had returned by this point, with Moulder keeping one eye on Garcia’s fresh wounds- the knight must’ve passed through them.

“Right… anyway, I served Grado’s Imperial Temple, and I ran many of the charitable branches- the orphanages, the confession booths, the soup kitchens, and so on. While I was collecting ingredients for a new soup recipe, I heard Vigarde escort Father MacGregor out into a nearby clearing. He was… he was executing. A holy man. It was all to keep him silent… after the soldiers had left, I approached my mentor, the man who had everything to give… and he told me Vigarde’s desire on his last breath. No goodbyes, just making sure I knew this one thing. Vigarde wants the Sacred Stones destroyed,” Natasha explained. Everyone let in a sharp intake of breath.

“The Sacred Stones?” Eirika asked.

“The Sacred Stones are all that keep evil at bay- and there’s one stationed in all five major countries. I used a spell Father MacGregor taught me to examine the condition of the Sacred Stones. Sure enough, one was destroyed…” Natasha told her.

“Grado’s, no doubt. Renais’s is still safe, that much I’m sure of. Frelia, Jehanna and Rausten also seem relatively uninvaded- and the Sacred Stones will certainly be the last things to go in each,” Seth observed.

“Unfortunately, the spell’s power alerted Vigarde to my movements. I don’t understand it… he was always so peaceful and friendly. He volunteered at my charities several times. I don’t know how he managed it, but he did. But now… now he’s hunting me down, determined to keep the knowledge of his plan quiet…” Natasha sobbed. Joshua came up to comfort her.

“So what do we do?” Eirika asked Seth.

“We must press on. Ephraim must be rescued at any cost,” Seth told her firmly.

“But what about Frelia? What about the other nations? They must be warned!” Eirika exclaimed.

“Frelia is fighting strongly- it is unlikely their Stone will be taken. At any rate, Ephraim…” Seth started, before faltering. He brought his hand to his chin, clearly considering his next words.

“Seth… what is it you’re not telling me?” Eirika asked.

“Fado entrusted me with this secret, instructing me to tell you at the proper moment… forgive me, Eirika, but I do not feel as if this moment is to be it,” Seth stated. Neimi furrowed her brow.

“You really expect Eirika to work at her best when she knows she’s missing intel?” Neimi asked.

“…You’re correct… I believe Grado is unaware of the secret. Should I be made to believe otherwise, I shall tell you,” Seth stated. Neimi shook her head, but said nothing. This was going to come back to haunt them…

* * *

 

“So where is she?” Cormag asked. Glen was pacing around outpost Drake, thinking about their next move. Vigarde had requested he claim Princess Eirika… but she was on the move in Grado territory now. Finding the falcoknight was certainly a bigger priority for him.

“We know one thing- she’s going to be finding Valter. I believe the best thing to do would be to use him as bait,” Glen stated.

“Using him as… Glen, I know you hate him. But His Majesty trusts him,” Cormag started. Glen held up his hand.

“This has nothing to do with my hatred for that double-crosser. Sure, I would enjoy watching that falcoknight make him wet his pants in fear, but when it comes to finding out where the falcoknight is- and, more importantly, what she wants- I would plan the same even if Duessel was in Valter’s position,” Glen stated. Cormag nodded, accepting the reasoning.

“But you’re not going to watch?” Cormag asked, curious.

“I still need to do something about Eirika. She is a much easier target, and her movements are predictable. Which is why I’m still worried about the falcoknight- and I know that’ll cost me. Cormag, I want you to follow Valter, making sure to stay out of sight, and let me know what the falcoknight does when she finds him. Take Genarog- he’ll be a lot surlier than you’re used to, but he’s ready to go,” Glen suggested. Cormag sat bolt upright in surprise.

“Are you sure?” Cormag asked.

“Of course. Just take care of him,” Glen assured him. Cormag nodded, and began planning how he would track Valter using Genarog. More importantly, he was considering how he would handle the falcoknight.

But in the end, Cormag had to agree that finding out what she was up to was the best course of action to eventually taking her down.


	7. Bloody Nose

Tirado lounged about on his throne. He had been assigned to the defence of this location, and as far as he could tell, that meant he had nothing better to do with his time. It was his men that he was sending that saw action. But not for long… Valter had announced his arrival, and with a well-placed request, Tirado saw himself getting a lease to get involved with crushing Ephraim himself.

“Greetings, Moonstone Valter,” Tirado called to the visitor. Valter looked around, somewhat uneasy.

“You’ve captured Prince Ephraim, have you not?” Valter barked.

“Sadly, that has not been the case. The mercenaries I have sent have proven themselves worthless. That blasted prince employs the terrain to his advantage, making the most out of tactical strikes. He’s down to very few companions, though, which puts us at an advantage,” Tirado explained. Valter nodded thoughtfully.

“And how do you intend to press that advantage? Princess Eirika has made it into Grado, and if those two were to meet, any effort you’ve put in to Ephraim’s capture would be shattered,” Valter pointed out.

“Grant me an army, and I have a plan ready,” Tirado claimed, cackling ominously.

* * *

 

Ephraim was pacing around anxiously. Unlike Tirado, he had no complex band of spies able to take information from around the country. In fact, his forces were limited to himself and three horsemen- the idea of gaining information on enemy and ally movement was a luxury akin to a nice warm bath for him.

“How are supplies, Forde?” Ephraim asked.

“Not good. Everything except the Reginleif is losing edge, and we’re running out of food. I also don’t particularly like our proximity to nearby villages…” Forde replied. Ephraim expected as much.

“And asking too much more of Serafew is out of the question. They already harbour Myrrh, and Grado soldiers are beginning to tighten their grip. It’s too risky to return with our numbers. …I hope Myrrh’s all right…” Ephraim muttered.

“Myrrh will be fine. It’s us I’m worried about. We do need to face the reality of logistics,” Forde stated.

“And Renais has allegedly fallen. Or at least, attempting to return with or without Myrrh would not result in better odds,” Kyle mused.

“I can only hope Father and Eirika escape with the time we are buying. If they’ve mobilised Frelia, I’d imagine that might make a safe escape route, especially if we were to attract Tana’s attention…” Ephraim hypothesised.

“Tana? I didn’t know you and the Princess of Frelia had history!” Forde teased.

“It’s not much, but yes, I believe Tana would support us. At any rate, has Orson arrived with intel yet?” Ephraim asked. On cue, Orson pushed through to the camp.

“Reporting in, Prince Ephraim. Grado forces have made a large presence in this area. In addition to that, there’s a large dispatch coming from Renvall. Remaining here would be unwise,” Orson reported. Ephraim considered his options.

“So what of it? Head to Renais, or Frelia?” Forde asked.

“Neither. Renvall,” Ephraim put forward. Forde and Kyle gave a quiet laugh- a laugh that quickly vanished when they saw Ephraim’s serious expression.

“…You’re not joking…” Forde stuttered.

“When have I ever joked about tactics?” Ephraim asked.

“But… are you quite sure you’re sane?” Forde sputtered.

“Forde!” Kyle exclaimed.

“Kyle, I do take on board criticism. I’m not a tyrant. Anyway, Forde, I haven’t lost all sense of self-preservation. You know, yet. Renvall is a key point in Grado’s defence. If we take it here, Grado will expend resources trying to reclaim it. Resources that might otherwise be spent making the lives of Father and Eirika quite unpleasant,” Ephraim explained.

“That part makes sense… but not the one where we’re four men,” Forde pointed out.

“The enemy has us outnumbered and outmanoeuvred. Of all the ideas it expects me to come up with, attacking Renvall is… on a different list. Therefore, Grado’s defences preparing for such will be as equally prioritised,” Ephraim explained. Forde slowly nodded.

“And we can always resupply from the castle. As plans to charge the enemy bravely with no regard for safety go, this sounds downright safe,” Kyle added.

“If we do not move quickly, we might lose our chance. Now it’s time to charge… I don’t pick fights I don’t win,” Ephraim finished.

* * *

 

Ephraim led the three horsemen into Renvall through a side-end route. After a few visits to the keep while Renais and Grado were allied, he had a general feel for the terrain. The enemies, meanwhile, were rank and file Grado soldiers and Jehannan mercenaries, neither of which had anywhere close to Ephraim’s knowledge of the castle’s passages. Ephraim insisted on evading enemy detection until they reached the throne room.

Thrones were decisive tools in the game of war. Ephraim was confident he could gain the upper hand in even a short skirmish by claiming Renvall’s throne and using it as a base while Forde and Kyle restocked. Without the forests of field combat, this was Ephraim’s best plan.

He did not account for the enemy in the throne room.

“Hello there, Prince Ephraim,” a Jehannan mercenary called. A pair of myrmidons flanked him, and all three bore a similar weapon- the Zanbato. Anti-cavalry blades.

“Forde, Kyle, stay back… this is my fight!” Ephraim barked. Forde and Kyle’s instinct was to deny Ephraim’s request, but one look at the Zanbatos told them staying back would indeed be the wiser tactic. Ephraim stepped forward, watching the myrmidon’s movements. One struck from the left and one from the right- a textbook pincer movement. Ephraim ignored this, stepping back and allowing the myrmidons to crash into one another instead.

“Must I do everything… men! Chase the horsemen!” the mercenary called.

“Forde! Kyle! Orson! Retreat, and gather supplies!” Ephraim ordered. The horsemen did so reluctantly, causing the myrmidons to reconsider pursuit. Ephraim brandished the Reginleif, staring down the mercenary.

“There will only be one winner,” Ephraim boasted. The mercenary grinned.

“And it will be you, won’t it, because you have a lance, and ideals, and all that other wishy-washy stuff, don’t you? Welcome to the real world, boy!” the mercenary bragged right back, and tossed his sword into the air. Ephraim saw the stroke coming a mile away, and passed under the mercenary, who’s unnecessary flip reversed their positions such that Ephraim controlled the throne and the Zanbato-wielders were assaulting him. The three mercenaries charged, and Ephraim could easily handle the big one in front of him before the myrmidons arrived. Those two, however, stopped just shy of his lance’s range, and began to feint. Ephraim knew he had to strike quickly, but they were quickly splitting apart. Ephraim considered his options, including his insane ones. He chose to step forward, allowing the myrmidons to continue walking until they encountered each other. Ephraim smirked, and struck both using a single, lance-twirling strike.

“And that’s how you flourish!” Ephraim taunted. Forde and Kyle reappeared, carrying supplies and weapons respectively.

“We have accomplished our mission, Prince Ephraim,” Kyle stated simply.

“We have claimed Renvall’s throne… but with our numbers, there’s no way we’re keeping it too long. Best to get a move on,” Ephraim observed. Forde clicked his tongue.

“Yeah, about that… while I was running around looking for the kitchens, I heard the soldiers make a retreat. They and reinforcements now surround us,” Forde stated.

“What… well, I suppose we can continue a tactical advance. Let’s attempt an escape and see where we get. Men, it’s been an honour fighting by your side,” Ephraim told them.

“Save the death speech for later, when we’re not potentially about to wipe the floor with the enemy!” Forde forestalled. Ephraim nodded, and led the charge from Renvall.

* * *

 

Valter was waiting for them, with a pack of wyverns and assorted ground troops. Ephraim organised his troops into a basic diamond formation, rapidly eyeing his escape routes. But against a flyer like Valter? Escape wasn’t feasible.

“So, you’ve fought Renvall, have you? With such a small force? Impressive. You must be the leader of this pack, brother to my Princess Eirika, Prince Ephraim,” Valter questioned.

“Your Princess… what have you done with my sister?” Ephraim roared.

“Peace, child. I have not yet managed to claim a single hair on her head. I have been far too busy trying to track you down, Prince. Renais has fallen, and your King killed, but this little pack is proving to be quite the thorn in our sides. Lay down your weapons, and I shall consider sparing you,” Valter taunted.

“Ha, not likely. Now how did you know I was attacking Renvall?” Ephraim asked.

“All in good time, Ephraim. Now… surrender. You’re a smart boy. You know to fight is futile. You know to escape is futile. You will surrender. You will get down on your knee and grovel like a good Renais pup!” Valter demanded.

“No,” Ephraim rebuked, drawing the Reginleif. Forde and Kyle drew their lances, the wyvern forces closing in.

“I’m sorry, forgive me, my ears must be getting dirty. Did you just say ‘no’?” Valter asked.

“Listen, Valter, I’m not about to lie down like a dog. I don’t have time to waste on small fry like you. So, if you’ll be forgiving me, I’m going to knock you around for all the combat experience I feel like, and then skedaddle. Is that OK with you?” Ephraim needled.

“What… fool…” Valter roared.

“I don’t pick fights I can’t win. Forde, Kyle, we- URK!” Ephraim called, his dramatic speech cut short.

“EPHRAIM!” Forde and Kyle exclaimed in unison, as Prince Ephraim dropped to the ground, any interest in the proceedings dissipating.


	8. Tempered Steel

_ Eirika suppresses feelings of unease and plunges into Grado territory to find her brother. With Serafew behind them, they now stand in hostile lands. Eirika chooses sparsely populated routes for her party to pass through, yet it is too late. Their movements are already being tracked. _

* * *

 

Riev appeared beside one of the DDK- his own personal force from before he joined Vigarde. Novala was poring over a scrying fountain, watching something. If he was doing as Riev had instructed, that something would be Princess Eirika’s movements.

“How goes your plan?” Riev asked. Novala looked up.

“Smoothly, Father. Princess Eirika is headed right into the trap,” Novala reported. Riev nodded thoughtfully. He had no reason to believe otherwise, but the assurance was nice.

“I’m sure Valter will be happy to hear that… right after we got the Solar Brace, too. Kidnap her, steal the Lunar Brace, and then deal with her companions by any means necessary. You do have that capacity, right?” Riev stated.

“Everything is under control. I have just the thing to stack the odds firmly in my favour. You want to stay and watch as I capture the princess?” Novala asked.

“I do not have time for such trivialities. I have much to do for our master, and not all of it paperwork that I can probably figure out how to make fill itself. I’ll leave that business to you and Valter,” Riev hissed, disappearing.

“Hmph. Foolish old man. It’s only that snakelike demeanour that got him his role. A role that is rightfully mine! Riev, when I capture Princess Eirika, you’ll lose those robes,” Novala growled.

* * *

 

“How do you feel, Ross?” Garcia asked, watching Ross perform some sit-ups. Or at least, that might’ve been what he was doing. He might actually have been trying to sit up and kept falling.

“Much better. Like Lute said, give it a few days and it all clears up,” Ross told him.

“Hm… I still don’t trust this class-changing business that she’s organised…” Garcia muttered. Ross chuckled.

“Dad, you didn’t like the sound of changing to ‘hero’ type,” Ross pointed out. Many had asked Lute what class branches she’d be able to change them to once it was clear Ross would be making a full recovery. Some, like Garcia and Vanessa, preferred the natural class path. Others, like Gilliam and Neimi, were interested in their new paths.

“Well… I’m not really interested in getting bows anytime soon. I think I’ll stay out of this class-changing business for the time being,” Garcia stated. He absently rubbed at some of his self-inflicted war wounds from trying to shoot a bow.

* * *

 

“Ah, that’s how it’s done?” Eirika asked, having just finished listening to Natasha’s explanation on how to cook a good soup. Eirika had missed a vital step, so while most of her dishes cooked nicely, her soups were mushy and not at all drinkable.

“Yes. I’ll admit, I was surprised, too, when I first learned that,” Natasha told her. Eirika’s next remark was cut short when a shadowy figure appeared before them. Natasha jumped, fear rooting her on the spot. Eirika was eyeing the camp, wondering how long it would take Seth to notice.

“Hello, Princess Eirika. My, you’re as beautiful as they say. Now then, on to business… you possess a lovely little trinket called the Lunar Brace. Would you kindly surrender the piece?” the figure asked.

“My bracelet… why would you ask something like that?” Eirika asked in confusion.

“Do you not sense it? A power emanating from it? …Well, I don’t either. It’s mostly because the emperor will promote me to general that I seek it. Hand it over, and I’ll leave you and your Renais friends alive. Deal?” the figure told her. Natasha looked at the bracelet thoughtfully. Now that it was mentioned, the bracelet did seem to possess some magical power she could detect… but it was a half-power. The figure would need the other half to unlock any magical power from it.

“Princess Eirika, you will do no such thing!” Seth’s voice echoed. Sure enough, he had made it to the argument- and just about everyone else was behind him.

“Eirika, the bracelet has a half-power. Do you know where the twin might be?” Natasha followed, addressing her final question to Eirika, Seth and the menacing foe before her alike.

“Ephraim,” all three said at once in varying tones. The idea that occurred to them, though, was the same- the twin was potentially in Grado’s hands.

“Listen, uh… whatever. Renais has honoured its allegiance to Grado for years. And yet Grado invaded without warning. I am a very forgiving woman- against all odds, I have never found room in my heart for hatred. But each and every officer you send that wants my head- or, far more likely, my body- with a desperate passion wears away at that forgiveness. My patience grows thinner by the day. I will not cave in to your request for my half-power,” Eirika orated. She had no idea what the half-power in the Lunar Brace did, but anything that needed to be made a half-power was probably something Eirika would really prefer Grado not do.

“Really? Is that your answer? You wouldn’t even hand it over… for these?” the figure asked. He raised his hands, and with a few glyphs, a small family of Renais citizens appeared at the figure’s feet.

“Eirika…” Seth started. Eirika was breathing heavily, her rapier at the ready. Something was stirring inside her.

“…So this is what it is like… to hate…” Eirika muttered. Her figure seized up, and the family disappeared. Eirika’s rapier lunged forward, missing the figure by a hair. Eirika hissed furiously, and made a second lunge. This blow connected, and the figure stepped away, looking at the blood on his robes.

“No… No! Not to her!” the figure yelled. He summoned a blob of darkness, and pushed it against the wound. A shimmer rippled along it, and all the blood disappeared. Eirika let out a savage growl, and lunged forward again. The figure vanished with a glyph, and Eirika’s lunge nearly took her into Colm.

“All right… Eirika, strategy?” Seth asked. With Eirika frothing at the mouth in anger, it seemed unlikely that anything would come from her.

“Lute, let’s give you a shot,” Neimi suggested, after an awkward moment.

“Me? Um… it looks like fog’s rolling in. That could lead to uncertain situations in combat. Vanessa, those glyphs meant that the transportation spell that man was using was short-range- the family’s probably still nearby, and more than likely in danger. Find them and get them out of danger. Neimi, Colm, we’ll need your vision to find that man and whatever force he has, and then neutralise him. Everyone, make sure to give Eirika a wide berth- it’s a proven fact that forgiving people have the fiercest tempers, and we want the enemy to be bearing the brunt of that tantrum. She  _ should _ recognise her loyal retainers, but to be honest, she’s known most of us for a week or two,” Lute laid out. Everyone nodded, and prepared an approach. The fog Lute had pointed out would make it difficult, but not impossible- especially with Neimi and Colm on spotting duty.

* * *

Vanessa approached the mountainside, suspecting that the hostages would be kept in a relatively inaccessible location. Sure enough, she saw what she suspected to be the family in a small dip in the mountains. She approached them cautiously at first, before approaching more openly.

“Hello there, people of Renais. We’re going to get you out of here,” Vanessa told them optimistically. How she was intending on doing that, though, was another story- they did only have the one pegasus.

“Really?” the family’s young daughter asked, looking up hopefully.

“Pegasus knights were always Frelia’s specialty…” the father said thoughtfully.

“Just move it! Did that creep mention anything about what was to happen to you?” Vanessa asked.

“He said something about spiders, and a hot meal…” the mother told her vaguely. Vanessa, too, was at a loss for what that could mean- until she heard a tell-tale scritch-scratch noise behind her. It was fairly soft, but the fact she could hear it meant that it could undoubtedly detect them.

“We’ve got to get you off this mountain… now!” Vanessa called. She was furiously looking around for some way in which to overcome the problem she was now faced with- getting the family off the mountain would require the pegasus, but engaging the spider would also require it. And attempting both tasks at once was suicide.

“…Are you all right, Miss Pegasus Lady?” the girl asked.

“I’m fine… just not as tactically flexible as I really need to be right now,” Vanessa observed. She left it to the girl’s parents to explain what ‘tactically flexible’ meant. Right now, she needed to try.

* * *

 

Neimi pointed out a fighter carrying a halberd to Seth and Franz, and looked up to the mountains. She could still see the wings of Titania up there, even if she had no way of knowing what was going on up there. She dodged Eirika’s crazed lunge towards the halberdier, and thought her options through.

“Colm, I’m going to investigate,” Neimi told him. Colm gave one eye to the mountains.

“Too treacherous. What do you intend to do up there, anyway?” Colm stated right back. As he asked that question, Titania’s wings spread widely, and the warning cry in her call carried to everyone below.

“Vanessa can’t protect the family and fight whatever it is she’s worried about,” Neimi told him.

“…Take Ross. He’ll handle the mountains better, and might actually do some damage when he arrives,” Colm insisted. Neimi gave a slight sob.

“Oh, Neimi…” Colm stuttered.

“That’s just mean, Colm. Saying I‘m useless,” Neimi sobbed. Colm looked around, and gave her a few strokes on the back.

“You are useful. You know the girls still don’t trust me,” Colm pointed out. Neimi shook her head, and went to go find Ross. Colm was at a loss for what Neimi was so upset about- but now that he didn’t have a secondary spotter, he didn’t have time to start musing.

* * *

 

Vanessa watched fearfully for the spider’s approach. When Titania gave the signal, she knew the spider was more than likely too close for evacuation to be a valid tactic. The wait, though, was fierce. For a few moments, Vanessa considered the notion that the spider was too hindered by the mountains to have been as close as Titania’s panic suggested… only for the spider to appear and prove her wrong.

Eight legs, eight eyes. She was certainly looking at a spider. But this spider was not at all the kind that her junior pegasus knights feared. This one was worse- it was the size of Titania. Its massive pincers were as big as swords, and looked as dangerous. This specimen was jet-black, with a red stripe down its back. Vanessa had heard the smaller version of this spider could cause humans grief- she struggled to imagine the idea of a larger version's bite being survivable. Evasion would be her best bet- except for the fact that left the family open.

"May this javelin strike true..." Vanessa muttered, tossing a javelin forth. Sadly, the strike did not come to be- the spider was still cloaked in fog. Despite that, Vanessa knew, somewhat, that the advance it could make while off the mountain's craggy sides would be much faster. She did not regret her attempt. She watched, her lance at the ready, hoping to cripple the spider for one of the family to escape.

*Screech*

Vanessa looked around- the spider was crying and reaching for the back of its head using two of its legs. Vanessa looked around for the culprit.

"Right between the eyes!" Neimi cheered proudly.

"Neimi, it had eight of them," Ross snarked. He approached the spider, axes at the ready. The spider made the first move, lunging forward, and rearing back its pincers. Ross quickly intercepted the bite with one of his own axes, throwing it into the mouth to prevent a pierce. This far from Moulder and Natasha, poison would be lethal. As it was, the spider had to reconsider how it would go about biting- and close enough to bite was close enough for an axeman to strike. The spider was dead, cleaved in two instead of crushed, but dead nonetheless.

"Vanessa, you need any help carrying them down?" Ross asked. Vanessa smiled, and turned to the family.

“Thank you for saving us... I’m sorry we don’t have anything to give...” the mother started.

“No, don’t be. Saving the people of Renais is reward enough,” Vanessa assured her. She scooped up the daughter, and put her on the pegasus.

* * *

 

"No, no, no! This cannot be!" the enemy shaman Novala cried out. The Bael in the mountains was enchanted with his magic to obey him- and thus, its death sent a signal down his spine.

"What cannot be?" a female voice asked. Novala didn't know who.

"The spider I sent to eat those Renais hostages got killed. I don't know by who... but I will make them pay even if it takes my last breath!" Novala hissed. With a start, he suddenly realised that he didn't have a female in his troop. Novala looked up, and Eirika's rapier found itself wedged firmly into his throat. No dark magic could save him from this strike. Eirika thrust the rapier into Novala's chest, making sure this particular commander didn't live to see his crimes committed. She drew her rapier, and turned to the remaining forces- who quickly realised that fleeing would be wise. She took in a deep breath, and thought of Seth. Knowing she had such a loyal guard would calm her down from her murderous rage. Eirika shuddered somewhat, thinking back on her time.

If this is what it was like to hate, Eirika didn’t want to hate again.

“Milady Eirika...” Seth started, seemingly unsure on how to continue. Eirika took in another breath.

“Seth...” Eirika stuttered, looking at him nervously. Fear was the note of the day, and now that Eirika had a taste of her dark side, it was her turn to start feeling it.

“Eirika, now that I know Grado knows about the secret of your bracelet, I know I should tell you. And while I want to tell you now, while Neimi is on the mountains and can’t tell me she warned me, I know you’re perhaps not in the best state of mind...” Seth explained to her. Eirika looked down in thought.

“Yeah, better give me a moment,” Eirika assured him. Seth grimaced slightly, but reasoned he was probably getting that lecture from Neimi anyway. He took Eirika into his arms, and let her cry as much as she needed.

* * *

 

After being helped off the mountainside, Neimi had rounded on Colm. Colm knew that Neimi was likely still yelling, and was expecting a verbal lashing.

What he didn’t expect, however, was a cry.

“Neimi?” Colm asked nervously. He found himself reaching for Neimi, really starting to wonder what happened.

“Colm... do you really think I’m needed?” Neimi asked.

“Of course, Neimi! Your army trusts you, Eirika always accepts your intel with warm arms, and your archery’s pretty good,” Colm assured her. Neimi let out a sniff.

“Really?” Neimi asked.

“Neimi, I might do plenty of dishonest deeds as an ex-bandit who still steals, but I’d never lie to  _ you _ . If I thought any less of you, I wouldn’t have freed you from Bazba,” Colm reminded her. Neimi smiled.

“And if I didn’t have that time to practice sneaking around and keeping my edge with a bow, I might be even less useful. Thanks,” Neimi told him. Colm sighed in relief- especially with what Neimi said next.

“Now, I believe Seth owes me an apology for trying to withhold valuable information?”

* * *

 

Everyone was gathered around a small campfire, Eirika still in Seth’s arms. No one begrudged her this- the first day a soldier had on the field was always the worst, and Eirika just experienced that hundredfold.

“OK, Seth... I’m ready. What’s this ‘half-power’ thing?” Eirika asked. Seth turned to Natasha for the initial explanation.

“A half-power is exactly as it sounds- half a power. If a power is deemed too dangerous for a single soul to control, it is divided into half-powers, and whatever full power was initially split can only be performed if both half powers are brought together and controlled by two people. Naturally, one of those people needs to be a magician,” Natasha explained. Eirika looked at her bracelet.

“So what power does the Lunar Brace have when brought together?” Eirika asked.

“Princess Eirika, you have undoubtedly feared for Renais’s Sacred Stone, correct?” Seth asked preliminarily.

“Quit stalling,” Neimi told him firmly.

“As you command, humble intel officer. The Sacred Stone found in Renais’s temple, which has undoubtedly been destroyed, is nothing more than an elaborate forgery. The real one is held within the bowels of Nadaku, locked away with Renais’s own Sacred Twins. The lock on that door is sealed, and only the magic of the half-powers can break that seal,” Seth told her.

“An ingenious safety precaution...” Eirika mused.

“Though I will still question the tactical benefit of keeping Eirika and Ephraim in the dark about it. I mean, Grado clearly knows, it’s not like you’re preventing Grado from torturing the information out of them,” Neimi coldly, and smugly, stated.

“Until today, I would have scoffed at the idea, upholding Fado’s wishes. But now I see the truth in those words, harsh as they may be. Keeping silent about the power of the Solar and Lunar Braces may have cost us that very power, were it not for Natasha’s intervention,” Seth observed.

“But what of the Solar Brace? Surely Ephraim evaded capture?” Eirika asked.

“...Silver Knight Seth, who, aside from you, was entrusted with this information?” Lute asked.

“Under Fado’s rule, only me and two companions learned that secret. One of them is dead- I saw his body as I fled Nadaku. The other accompanied Prince Ephraim to Grado,” Seth told her. Lute mimed drawing paths in the air, analysing the facts. Something dawned on her, and she turned to Seth.

“What if Grado knows the secret because they successfully captured Ephraim’s companion and got the secret from  _ him _ ?” Lute asked. Seth took only a moment to realise the implications of Lute’s observation.

“If that is how they figured it out, then Ephraim is likely captured, too. We have to rush on- we must save Ephraim, or at least his Solar Brace, at all costs!” Seth ordered. Everyone nodded, and doused the campfire. No one felt like sleeping after that revelation. Whether that came back to haunt them was another question.


	9. Renvall Assault

_ Grado is searching feverishly for the Lunar Brace. Now that she knows of the half-power held within it, Eirika fears even more for the safety of her brother, who carries the Solar Brace. Eirika marches on to Castle Renvall, a key position in defence of Grado. She needs to find her brother at all costs, even if it means challenging Grado head on. _

* * *

As they marched, Vanessa dropped pace to move beside Seth. Everyone was still on edge, but they had taken chances to rest since that moment of realisation. Never long ones (for fear of losing the Lunar Brace) but rests nonetheless. Vanessa thought she might do something to ease her tension.

"Say, Seth..." Vanessa started. Seth turned, keeping his horse moving at the set pace.

"Yes, Vanessa?" Seth asked.

"...How do you feel about Princess Eirika?" Vanessa asked. Seth jolted in the saddle, turning to Eirika. She was focused resolutely on the road ahead, her slight limp not bothering her at all- she seemed not to notice it at all.

"...She is a strong woman that will make a fine queen to serve under," Seth told her deliberately.

"And?" Vanessa prodded. Seth knew what she was getting at, though he could not tell why.

"Vanessa, it is not wise for knights to marry their monarch. I assure you my relationship with Eirika is strictly formal," Seth snapped.

"Is that how Eirika feels?" Vanessa continued. Seth turned back to her, and remembered her sobs as she clung to him in fear. Remembered how ready she was to nurse his wound, even if it compromised her safety.

"...Eirika still has much to learn before she is ready to take her crown. Care will come in time," Seth told her deliberately.

"Wow, your Renais code is strict," Vanessa drolled.

"Princess Tana is falling for a Prince! This is an acceptable case!" Seth started.

"Frelia has a Prince, too," Vanessa told him.

"Um... Artur?" Eirika called at the front, something resembling fear in her voice. Seth and Vanessa looked up, to investigate. Seth's mind was reeling from what Vanessa was referring to when talking about Innes.

* * *

 

"Yes, Eirika?" Artur asked, having been pushed to the front of the pack. Eirika pointed to the field before Renvall. Corpses littered the place, somewhat decomposed. Eirika's troop started looking through them, recognising largely Grado soldiers. It was with Franz's yelp that the first opposing casualty was found.

"Forde!" Franz yelped. Eirika rushed beside Franz, and saw Forde's battered body. There were wounds beyond counting present. Eirika didn't have to look far to find Kyle's body- but there was no sign of any of the other soldiers sent with Ephraim. Nor Ephraim himself.

"Artur... can you tell us what happened here?" Eirika asked. Artur was about to protest, before remembering something helpful he could use- his divination rods! In all the hub-bub about his future one, he often forgot he carried one that detected the past. He pulled it out, and waved it around Forde and Kyle's bodies. The rod quivered, and Artur's eyes were closed in thought. Eirika watched him patiently, waiting for the news.

"Ephraim left Renvall with these two cavaliers and a paladin. They encountered a large Grado force. Ephraim exchanged banter with the wyvern knight leading some, before the paladin that followed them out threw a javelin into his back. The two cavaliers began to fight off the army, managing to take out several, but they eventually died to the sheer weight of superior numbers. The paladin took the Solar Brace, and retreated into the castle. The wyvern knight reared to finish off Ephraim, when a falcoknight appeared and disarmed him. The wyvern knight fled, and the falcoknight fought against the remainder of the enemy. There were no survivors. That falcoknight grabbed Ephraim's body, and flew away," Artur divined. Eirika turned these facts over. The wyvern knight was clearly Valter. That much was obvious. But the falcoknight's identity was much more curious. And, more importantly, where and why she took Ephraim.

"Eirika..." Seth stuttered. Eirika looked up, to notice Seth looking around in fear.

"Yes?" Eirika asked.

"...Artur, how did the corpses fall when Forde, Kyle and the falcoknight disposed of them?" Seth quickly changed his question's target. Artur looked at him in confusion, until Eirika came to the same realisation.

"It's a trap..." Eirika muttered, looking around. As she uttered those words, soldiers made their appearances from around trees. Everyone gathered around Eirika, protecting her and the healers. Eirika was trying to think of a plan. Knowing that Ephraim was elsewhere made her instinct to flee... she knew that the Solar Brace was more important. And to that end, they needed to go to Renvall.

"...Two fronts. We need to get into Renvall and find the Solar Brace. Meanwhile, someone holds onto this front, so that we might be able to escape once we're done," Eirika suggested.

"Eirika?" Seth asked.

"It's split our forces or fight two battles in quick succession. We need to get Renvall secured so we have the upper hand when reinforcements come. We need those supplies. We need to get the place secured... Gilliam, Vanessa, Moulder, Franz, Neimi, Lute, Artur, you stay out here. Seth, Colm, Garcia, Ross, Joshua, Natasha, we'll go in," Eirika told them. Her soldiers looked amongst each other, and then back at Eirika.

"We will hold this position," Gilliam confirmed.

"I can neutralise them," Vanessa added.

"Don't forget my archery! They won't even see an approach!" Neimi boasted.

"And if they even make it here, they'll be no match for my prowess," Lute added.

"They will pay for killing my brother, Eirika!" Franz yelled.

"Almost makes me seem redundant," Artur chuckled nervously, looking amongst his additions.

"You have chosen this force wisely, Eirika," Moulder finished. Eirika turned to the inside force.

"Their pockets will definitely be lighter once we're done," Colm told her.

"Looks like we'll be in the vanguard," Garcia chuckled.

"A pair of axes will wreak havoc on 'em!" Ross finished.

"This gamble will pay off. After all, it's not me that's making it," Joshua chuckled.

"Valter may be a poor man, but he's beyond my salvation," Natasha spat.

"Eirika, we are ready. Our advance will succeed," Seth stated. Eirika nodded, and they plunged into the castle. Gilliam took his position on the bridge, while Neimi, Lute and Artur fanned out behind him. Gilliam was ready for a battle on his side- standing still and letting the enemy come to him, to crash into his wall and face his lance- if the magical onslaught behind him didn't wipe them out first.

The enemy would know the fear of facing an armour knight.

* * *

 

Eirika and Seth led the advance, looking around Renvall. Their first sight was a man making his approach. He had a heavy cloak, but there was no mistaking that face.

"Orson?" Seth asked, looking at his comrade. Orson looked up, and jumped. Eirika beamed at him.

"Don't worry, Orson, we'll get you out of here," Eirika assured him.

"But Ephraim... he lies in the dungeons..." Orson spluttered out. Seth looked up at that. He narrowed his eyes.

"Ephraim... captured... that can't be right," Eirika stuttered. Orson let out a nervous chuckle.

"I don't remember seeing you in that jail cell. I know that was Ephraim in there..." Orson told them.

"Did the enemy take his Solar Brace?" Eirika asked. Orson jumped.

"The... the bracelet? No... he let me take it when I made my escape! See?" Orson explained, holding out the Solar Brace. Eirika giggled.

"That's not the version I was told," Eirika informed him. Orson spluttered, confused.

"The version I heard was that a paladin came out of the castle with Ephraim, Forde and Kyle. That paladin stabbed Ephraim in the back, stole the Solar Brace off his unconscious body, and fled into Renvall, leaving the cavaliers to die," Eirika told him.

"How..." Orson stuttered out.

"That was you, wasn't it? You crafted some cock-and-bull story about Ephraim getting captured here, when he actually got rescued by a falcoknight. You wanted to take advantage of my naiveté, didn't you? Well, guess what, Orson? That naive diplomat you left behind in Renais? She's gone," Eirika scolded.

"They grow up so fast, don't they? Now you'll hand over the Solar Brace and that blade you brought in your doublet, and perhaps Eirika might forgive you. I suggest you do that- the last person Eirika hated... oh, but you don't want me to tell you what happened to him," Seth added, expanding on Eirika's words.

"That is enough. Orson, you may return to that wife of yours," a voice called from behind. Orson was glad to scurry away, and an openly-armoured general took his place.

"So... we laid a trap for a canary and found ourselves with a pair of hawks instead. You may possess some small ounce of cunning, but do not think you have outgrown that naïveté, Princess Eirika. Ephraim was lucky to conquer Renvall with four men," the general announced.

"We have five, plus a healer and a thief," Eirika told him.

"...None of you are Ephraim, though. I will extinguish you, and then the name of Tirado will be a name worth remembering!" the general boomed.

"You wish," Eirika told him. Tirado began his slow march back to his throne.

"You know... I really should take this opportunity to attack," Eirika muttered. She jumped forward, and slid her rapier into the nearest chink in his armour- sliding into his back. He was wounded, but nowhere near fatally. However, his departure was slowed down enough for Garcia and Seth to follow up on.

"Now let's go find Orson," Eirika told Seth. Seth nodded, and Eirika hopped onto his horse.

* * *

 

Vanessa looked around at the potential targets. Cavaliers were falling to Artur and Lute's magic before they even try to break Gilliam's shield. The fighters had a better shot, but Neimi made sure that was only a shot. Franz was tossing javelins to shatter formations, while Vanessa continued to scout. She knew that eventually, Grado would switch tactics to one that would not fall against this wall. Her sharp eyes spotted a gathering of mages- as did Neimi's.

"Vanessa, mages fall easily to arrows, but I don't have the range to hit them from here. I noticed a ballista on the castle's roof, and if you fly me up, I might be able to use it," Neimi told her. Vanessa nodded, and scooped her up. Neimi jumped onto the platform, and looked at the ballista thoughtfully.

"Hm... this'll be harder than I thought..." Neimi muttered. She took several parts of it, connecting the various pieces mentally and comparing them to bows. Vanessa was just keeping her distance- massive bows that could hit a pegasus from further than they could fly had always been a pegasus knight's worst nightmare, and here one was. The door opened, and a soldier stepped onto the battlement. He looked at Neimi and Vanessa briefly, before shutting the door.

"There'll be reinforcements... Neimi, how fast do you think you can get that ballista running?" Vanessa asked.

"Fast enough. Let me know if you need to bail," Neimi told her. She looked down at Gilliam- still firm on his feet. It appeared Moulder hadn't even acted.

* * *

 

"Commander Greyfield! Commander... there's an enemy archer trying to man our ballista!" the soldier yelled. Greyfield nodded dismissively, trying to consider his choices. Tirado had fallen, and a rout seemed imminent. Trying to take the ballista back seemed a dim prospect. But he was a soldier of Grado, and he wanted to see Renais crushed under his thumb.

"Send the myrmidons," Greyfield told him.

"But sir, there's-" the soldier started. He knew that myrmidons were a poor choice with the pegasus knight accompanying the archer.

"Did you just 'but' me?" Greyfield roared. The soldier gasped, and ran off. Greyfield stepped back, wondering what his next move would be.

"I don't even want to know how thick you could get..." a voice muttered from behind him. Greyfield turned, and noticed a thief.

"Remove yourself from the great Admiral Greyfield's presence, peasant filth!" Greyfield boomed.

"Yeah... nah. First off, that's a sergeant's star. Second off, you not only ignored intel, but you ignored the logical conclusion you could've drawn yourself. Those myrmidons are going to get slaughtered by the pegasus knight that's with the archer. Third off, you're a colossal jerk, so I think I'm going to kill you and get it over with," the thief told him.

"Hah! No one defeats the great... Sergeant Greyfield!" Greyfield conceded, before finding a knife in his chest. Colm withdrew it, letting Greyfield fall to the ground.

"If only you were as grand as you believed yourself to be... I might've spared you so you would continue to be a colossal idiot. But I guess this is for the best... keeps Eirika on her toes, and stops her getting complacent. Also, you sounded full of yourself, so please tell me you actually have valuables..." Colm muttered.

* * *

 

"The mages are getting closer..." Vanessa nervously stated. Neimi was still fiddling with the ballista, trying to figure out how the thing worked.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Neimi rebuked, not even looking away from the various machinations. Vanessa looked up, and noticed a small swarm of myrmidons approach. They thought twice upon seeing the pegasus knight staring them down, but one harsh-sounding call from the soldier behind them pressed them forward. They engaged Vanessa one-by-one, the walkway too narrow to permit a dual-encounter. Neither side could afford to disengage- Vanessa needed to buy Neimi all the time she could, while the myrmidons feared much worse than simple execution if they were to return to Greyfield with the ballista unseized. Despite Vanessa's class advantage, the myrmidons were gaining on her through weight of numbers.

One of them fell off the battlements. Vanessa and the remaining myrmidons all went to investigate- a javelin was wedged into his chest. From the angle it made to his body, there was no way it was tossed from the ground before Renvall. Both parties made a slow turn to the other side, to see a falcoknight rain javelins down on the mages that threatened Gilliam. A small archer squadron on Grado's side readied their bows, but another few javelins scattered the formation, and what few arrows that did fly fell far short of the falcoknight. Vanessa turned back to the myrmidons, who were far less enthusiastic about their chances.

"You can turn back now, guys. I killed that idiot who called himself a commander," a familiar voice drawled from behind them. The myrmidons were quite relieved to hear that, and bolted away from the two pegasus riders. Colm replaced them, chuckling at the loyalty of the army... and Neimi's problem.

"Neimi, ballistae are more like catapults than bows," Colm told her. Neimi stepped back, noticed the mechanism, and fired a shot. It fell wide of the archers she was aiming at, but it fired.

"...I knew that," Neimi unconvincingly stated, looking up at the skies. The falcoknight lowered itself onto the battlements, and the pegasus's riders hopped off.

"...Your Highness?" Vanessa asked. The falcoknight giggled.

"I just turned around a disadvantageous position while carrying two other people. I don't think this is the time to call me 'Your Highness', Vanessa," Tana told her. Ephraim, meanwhile, had rushed immediately towards the towers, making his way to find Eirika. The third rider looked over the battlefield. She was a little girl, but from the way she acted, Vanessa knew there was more to her.

* * *

 

Seth and Eirika entered Renvall's throne room, to see Orson and a woman opposite them. Orson curled his lip in annoyance.

"Seth... I should've expected as much. You were never one for shirking in your duties," Orson told him.

"That Solar Brace belongs to Prince Ephraim. You will relinquish it, or face my lance," Seth responded. Seth and Orson stepped forward, Seth's lance against Orson's sword. Eirika stepped around Orson, trying to get to the girl.

Orson unleashed his charge first, rushing to meet Seth. Seth lightly sidestepped the charge, and thrust his lance forward. Orson deflected the lance, and lunged with his left fist. Seth twisted, pushing his head under Orson's blow, and pulled his horse away. Orson cleaved with his sword, and Seth was struck in the spine.

"SETH!" Eirika cried out. The woman forgotten, Eirika ran forward to the two paladins, looking between them in fear. To fight Orson would be to let Seth die, but to tend to Seth would be to lose the Solar Brace. Orson widened his smile, readying his silver sword. Eirika wasn't sure she could tend to Seth cleanly.

"Orson..." Eirika weakly whimpered.

* * *

 

"Orson!" Ephraim cried out. Orson turned from Eirika, and Eirika jumped in surprise. Ephraim pointed to Seth, making sure she cared for him, as he faced Orson.

"So you have returned, Ephraim. And this time, there's no way a falcoknight would swoop in and save you," Orson taunted.

"Orson, you were a powerful knight under my service. But the instant you threatened Eirika, it became apparent that you would face my wrath," Ephraim told him confidently.

"You, fight me? How, when even Seth fell?" Orson asked.

"...I've told you before. I don't pick fights I can't win," Ephraim stated simply, and thrust forward with the Reginleif. Orson's horse reared back, sending the rider holding firmly to the reins. His sword lingered in his hand, waving about suspensefully. Ephraim stepped forward, quickly making another lunge to Orson's sword hand. The silver sword was sent spinning away, but Orson's horse came crashing down, knocking Ephraim to the ground. Orson turned to the blade in concern, and turned to grab it. Ephraim jumped forward, and grabbed the legs of Orson's mount. Orson's horse began kicking and braying, but Ephraim held firm. Orson himself was being jolted.

"Ephraim!" Eirika cried out. Orson was thrown from his horse, and Ephraim followed soon after- both in different directions. Orson landed near his sword, and he scooped it up, ready to continue. Eirika pulled out her rapier, and stood between Orson and Ephraim.

"Orson, I will not allow you to kill anyone. I understand I am no longer your princess, but I will not hesitate to use force to enforce my will," Eirika commanded. Orson chuckled.

"You, stop me? And what happens once I've bested you? I claim the Lunar Brace, and then your so-called Sacred Stone is dust," Orson boasted. Eirika hesitated for a brief moment.

"...Then all I need to do is not permit you to best me," Eirika stated. Orson charged, and Eirika jumped back. Orson swiped too early, losing his balance, and Eirika thrust into his arm. Orson jumped back, growling, as his horse came to him.

"You win this round, Princess... tend to your wounded now, before they succumb to their injuries. We will continue this later... and I will show you the talent befitting a Royal Knight of Renais. I will be using my horse next time," Orson taunted. Eirika was prepared to chase after him, but she knew Orson was right- she had to tend to her brother and knight, lest she have to live with the knowledge that she let her friends die.

And as much as Eirika had changed, that was not part of it.


	10. The Secret Plot

Ephraim awoke in a rather comfortable bed. How he got there, he could not say- his last memory was having a javelin wedged into his back while surrounded by Grado soldiers. Ephraim began to wonder what Grado wanted, until he noticed the blue hair in his face, and the light touch pressed against him. He raised his arms up to push away whatever it was, and the touch vanished. Ephraim edged backwards slightly, and saw it was Princess Tana that was with him.

"Ephraim..." Tana started nervously, brushing her hair from her face.

"Where am I, Tana? How did I get here?" Ephraim asked her.

"This is Serafew. It was the closest safe place I could think of once I got you out of Valter's hands, and when that little friend of yours showed up, I knew I could rest here. As for how... I fought off Valter," Tana explained.

"You... who else is safe?" Ephraim asked. Tana looked down, her eyes filled with sadness. Ephraim knew he was about to hear awful news.

"I... I couldn't make it in time. Forde and Kyle are... dead... and it's all my fault..." Tana sobbed. Ephraim quickly rushed in to resume hugging her. Tana gave a weak smile in gratitude.

"You did your best. You tried the hardest out of anyone there to save them- why should it be that you then get the blame?" Ephraim asked.

"Ephraim..." Tana started nervously.

"Don't worry, Tana... you're with me now. And if you're strong enough to take out Valter... I'd imagine we'd wipe the floor with anything that tried to stop us," Ephraim boasted. Tana giggled.

* * *

 

Tana smiled as she watched Seth and Ephraim take their rest. The march back to Frelia was to be a slow-paced one now that they had made their initial escape, and this was the best time to get Moulder and Natasha on healing the wounds sustained fighting Orson.

"If only I followed him..." Tana muttered under her breath.

"If. If only things had occurred differently... isn't that always the case?" Myrrh's voice called. Tana turned to her, and smiled nervously.

"Well, duh, but... after what happened at Renvall last time... seeing Ephraim so powerless just..." Tana stuttered out. Myrrh smiled sympathetically.

"Hang in there, Tana... the dark force that was chasing us before is not doing so now. We can afford the rest," Myrrh comforted. Tana nodded, taking another look at Ephraim. His bruises looked much better.

"...So, where's Eirika?" Tana asked.

"Staring at that pond. I think she's reminiscing..." Myrrh remarked. Tana nodded, and stepped up to go to her.

"Tana, isn't she mad at you?" Myrrh asked.

"Her, mad? But I suppose if she is, I'd better apologise to her sooner rather than later," Tana pointed out. Myrrh chuckled, watching her go, before she started leaning against Achaeus and watching Ephraim recover. Achaeus just rolled his eyes.

* * *

 

"What will you pray for, Lyon?" Eirika asked, smiling. The prayer to the temple flame was a tradition she was honestly surprised to hear that Lyon had yet to partake in.

"Me? I suppose all I'm after... I guess I'll pray for the peoples of Grado and Renais to live in happiness," Lyon chuckled.

"That's very much like you, Lyon," Ephraim told him firmly, still rather annoyed at being scolded for not only not doing the prayer, but not knowing its significance in the first place.

"...Is this your revenge, Ephraim? Now I'm the one who can't tell if he's-" Lyon stuttered, before Eirika stepped forward, putting a hand on his arm.

"Praised, Lyon," Eirika assured him. Lyon felt a warmth flooding into his cheeks.

"...So, is this why Father MacGregor gets so angry at me? Everything's 'oh, you don't know this? You'll make a horrible king'... what happened to learning the traits needed to bring your kingdom to the right, not just to avoid the wrongs your ancestors did. Surely they haven't done everything wrong..." Ephraim asked.

"General Duessel certainly agrees with you. It's that bravery and honesty that's going to make you a great king. Father MacGregor is just concerned that you'll misuse that gift," Lyon assured him.

"...Heh, that's if I ever claim the throne. Eirika's much more suited to it, she should be the one to rise to queen. I just want to serve the people the way I prefer- as a travelling mercenary," Ephraim mused.

"Ephraim, I know you like your fighting, but that's foolish and irresponsible far beyond what I'm willing to overlook! Do you know what Father would think if he heard that?" Eirika asked.

"Are we talking about the same man? Our father will likely outlive us all. If he was going to die, he'd have done so by now. I'm content learning the lance from General Duessel and trying to follow on as a ferocious fighter," Ephraim dismissed.

"What about you, Lyon?" Eirika asked.

"Me? ...I suppose I want to become like my father..." Lyon mused.

"You were born to be Grado's Emperor, Lyon. And not just because you don't have a sibling, like Renais or Frelia... you belong in the role of benevolent ruler," Eirika assured him.

"If I do, I have a lot of work ahead of me. Father almost never sleeps, making sure everyone in the kingdom is attended to... I tell him he should stop volunteering at Natasha's charities and focus on his duties, but he insists he can do both. I'm going to have big shoes to fill..." Lyon remarked.

"...Ephraim, you could learn a thing or two from Vigarde and Lyon," Eirika teased.

"Again with the criticism? At this point, I'm willing to call it easier to dress you up like me and call it a day! Hm... actually... I reckon you could pass for me," Ephraim teased back.

"Ephraim!" Eirika exclaimed.

"Are you all right, Eirika?" Tana asked. Eirika jumped, and looked up to see her. Something passed over Eirika's face, and she turned back to the water.

"I'm... I'm fine..." Eirika insisted. Tana took a seat beside her, and placed an arm around her shoulders.

"You're mad at me, aren't you..." Tana asked.

"Of course I'm mad... you... you ran off without warning..." Eirika told her. Tana looked down in shame.

"I know, I screwed up... can't protect you because I'm worried about Ephraim, can't protect  _ him _ because I get there too late... I don't care what Ephraim says. I still blame myself for Kyle and Forde," Tana stated. Eirika shook her head.

"No, you got to Ephraim at all. If Kyle and Forde were dead, he would've been, too... which would've meant our whole journey would've been in vain... and then we would've fallen into Orson's trap... my... Tana..." Eirika assured her. As she did, the realisation slowly began hitting her- and Tana, too.

"I... wow, Eirika... I... that was me?" Tana asked. Eirika nodded, still somewhat surprised herself.

"Well... we'd better get what we're going to say to your father about all this ready. Now that I know that, I reckon I can get in a good word for you," Eirika told her, giggling.

* * *

 

Neimi took the resting chance to stare off into the distance, in the direction of Gormlaithe. She knew she wouldn't be able to see anything, much less hear anything, but if anyone asked her why she chose that direction to do her staring exercises in, at least she'd have an answer. She was focused on observing the movements of a bee dancing to its fellows while also making sure to scan for signs of the odd bear she noticed earlier when she was awoken by one of the others.

"Hello... Garcia, was it?" Neimi asked, taking her eyes from the wilderness. In the corner of her peripheral vision, said bear burrowed from the ground, looking around.

"Yes, that's me. I've been meaning to ask you about your gauntlet... I think I recognise it," Garcia remarked.

"Oh, this? It was my grandfather's. It was once his, but he passed it on to me when he taught me how to use a bow. He was always so kind to me..." Neimi reminisced, tears coming to her eyes. Garcia held out a hand, and Neimi took it.

"...Your grandfather was Zethla, wasn't he? 'Single-Arrow Zethla'? I knew him," Garcia told her. Neimi smiled somewhat.

"I didn't think he ever fought... or scouted," Neimi told him.

"Of course not. Renais asked many times, but he always refused. I was one of the fellows that came round trying to convince him. His accuracy was amazing... probably one of the reasons I never picked up the bow, to be honest," Garcia observed. Neimi nodded.

"Whenever he went hunting, he always took a single arrow. Colm believes Grandpa missed him when he shot at him. I know he'd never have shot a village boy," Neimi told him.

"But..." Garcia started in confusion.

"He was peeking at me changing. Or at least, that was his excuse at the time. Now, he says he was trying to steal some fruit," Neimi explained. Garcia nodded. If his suspicion as to the more accurate version of events was correct, he knew why Zethla would've shot at the strange boy.

"Sounds like him. Well then, Neimi, I'll leave you to it. We're all counting on your scouting," Garcia told her.

"Well then... I guess I have to live up to that," Neimi responded.

* * *

 

The party returned to Robin, where they found a woman standing in the entrance hall. She had Vanessa's green hair, worn in a longer style, and the more intricate armour of a falcoknight Tana herself had taken to wearing.

"Syrene!" Tana exclaimed. Syrene's expression seemed somewhere between anger and awe.

"Princess Tana! You put the whole court in an uproar, you know? Running off with this troop without a word to your father?" Syrene berated. And yet somehow, her tone still managed to hover between being angry and being impressed.

"I'm sorry for whatever troubles I've caused, but I've been a big help to this troop," Tana responded.

"...I know. I see you have become a falcoknight. Well, I suppose it was inevitable that you become a strong warrior, though I admit I never thought I'd see you wearing the falcoknight armour before Vanessa," Syrene told her. Both Tana and Vanessa gave a chuckle at that.

"So, how is Father?" Tana asked.

"He's doing well, though he asks for forgiveness for not coming to the door himself. Old age is catching up to him... he can't get up off his chair like he used to," Syrene explained.

"Is he..." Tana asked, worried.

"No, just very lethargic. I suspect he's approaching death's door, but he's still got a lot of spirit left in him," Syrene told her. Tana nodded, still feeling a little bad.

"Commander Syrene! Prince Innes has returned from the front lines!" a soldier called from the doors. Tana and Vanessa jumped, while Syrene called for him to be sent in. Prince Innes strutted into the entrance hall, still holding on to his lucky bow. Vanessa and Syrene made their instinctual reactions to the sight of a bow minimal. Tana outright hid behind Ephraim.

"Well met, Prince Innes," Ephraim said in a tone that suggested anything but.

"Likewise, Prince Ephraim," Innes responded in the same tone. Eirika jumped in before either could escalate.

"It's good to see you well, Innes," Eirika loudly claimed. Innes and Ephraim accepted the rebuke.

"As it is to see you, Eirika. You grow more beautiful by the day, and if the rumours I hear are true, you've grown to be quite a tactician. Pity it was too late to keep Grado from taking over-" Innes offered as a compliment.

"Whoa, Innes! This is not the time for harsh words! Renais and Frelia must work together!" Vanessa interrupted before Innes, knowingly or otherwise, turned his compliment into an offensive insult.

"True, Vanessa... Eirika, I am sorry to hear of your father's death. But just as it is not the time for blame games, it is also not the time for mourning. I will be visiting Father, and I suspect now would be a good time to hold a council. Eirika, Vanessa, Syrene... Ephraim, Tana, will you join us?" Innes asked.

"Of course, Innes," Eirika confirmed politely.

"I would be honoured," Syrene added.

"Though forgive me for suggesting Neimi in my place. She's not a knight, but she's bigger in intel," Vanessa chipped in. Ephraim and Tana were just giving each other a quick, comforting squeeze. Innes was rough around the edges, but he always meant well.

"Very well, then. Come along," Innes remarked. He began climbing the stairs to Hayden's office, the group selected following. Those that remained found the Frelians suggesting things they could do in the wait.

* * *

 

Innes opened the door, and everyone filed in to Hayden's office. Innes let go of the door before Ephraim and Tana entered, and began drawing chairs. Again, Ephraim wound up getting Tana's and his own. Whatever grudge Innes had against him, it was  _ really _ starting to get a little irksome.

"It does my heart good to see you all here before me, alive and well..." Hayden croaked. He indeed looked much older. Hayden turned to Tana, and his eyes widened in joy.

"Father, I apologise for my departure..." Tana started.

"As much as I would like to discuss this matter with you, now is not the time. Innes, how goes our front?" Hayden told her gently. Tana nodded, and pulled herself closer to Ephraim.

"Our army's body moves favourably. I have given the standing order to engage Grado and attempt to make any possible advance, and it appears we are doing so," Innes bragged somewhat.

"Acceptable work, Innes. But we must still answer the riddle... why," Hayden muttered.

"King Hayden, if I may... we have found information that relates to this question," Eirika started.

"Yes... the Sacred Stones. This Neimi lass included it in the report. We have strengthened Frelia's defences, but I still struggle to understand  _ why _ Grado would go to such lengths..." Hayden assured her.

"I believe I have the answer to that," Ephraim stated. Innes turned in shock.

"You?" Innes asked.

"Innes, please," Syrene started.

"Well... it isn't from me, and I'm not sure if it relates. But in my travels, I encountered a curious little manakete girl named Myrrh," Ephraim started.

"Manakete? Like in the legends?" Hayden asked.

"A demon girl? What's she got to do with it?" Innes scoffed.

"Innes, please do not say that to Myrrh. Anyway, Myrrh and her kind normally remain in the Darkling Woods of Rausten. However, they detected a dark energy coming from the south... from Grado. Myrrh left the Darkling Woods to investigate this energy, but she unfortunately was not able to do more than sense that the dark energies of Grado and the demons that make a resurgence across the continent are related," Ephraim explained.

"That's it?" Innes asked.

"Innes!" Tana exclaimed, holding onto Ephraim's arm.

"Come now, Tana! Don't let your affection for him blind you to the fact that this tells us nothing we couldn't have guessed!" Innes scoffed.

"Innes, you say that only with hindsight. I would not have connected the demon's movements and Grado," Syrene observed. Hayden remained thoughtful, until a soldier appeared. He looked nervously around the room.

"Come now, speak. Whatever is so important?" Hayden asked.

"The Tower of Valni... its defences have been compromised! Grado is overcoming our forces as we speak!" the soldier panicked. Everyone gasped in shock, and Ephraim and Innes quickly jumped to their feet before Tana and Syrene pulled them back.

"The Sacred Stone... how could this have happened?" Hayden asked.

"The enemy forces were led by two of Grado's Imperial Six... the Tiger Eye Caellach and the Fluorspar Selena," the soldier explained.

"Selena came personally?" Hayden asked weakly. Everyone looked between each other, horror dawning upon them.

* * *

 

Caellach walked triumphantly up the final steps of the tower, sparing almost no thought for the Frelian guards as he approached it. The Sacred Stone of Frelia. He took it off its pedestal, holding it with a manic glee.

"You... black-hearted..." a Frelian knight asked. Caellach looked up, and noticed him.

"Tch... didn't finish the job. No matter... happen to have any last words, Frelian cur?" Caellach asked.

"Do you... intend... to..." the Frelian muttered. Caellach placed both hands beside the stone, and closed his eyes.

"You... monster..." the Frelian breathed, as Caellach pushed his hands together. The Sacred Stone dissolved into a fine powder, completely destroyed.

"And that's enough out of you," Caellach muttered, slamming his axe down on the Frelian, finishing him off.

"Caellach!" Selena cried out. Caellach looked up.

"What did I do? I destroyed the Sacred Stone as ordered, did I not?" Caellach asked.

"And you killed a man who was powerless to resist! There is a difference between kills made in honour and kills in cold blood, Caellach. The emperor will not look to kindly on this!" Selena barked.

"The emperor doesn't care about how I do his job, as long as I do it. And quite frankly, that's the best attitude I can get from my employers. Now, I'm leaving before we get reinforcements. If you want to stay and bury the dead, feel free," Caellach scoffed, going back down the tower. He made sure to axe a Frelian corpse to show he could.

* * *

 

"How? How could this have happened..." Hayden muttered. A shiver had passed upon everyone by now- they knew the Stone had definitely shattered.

"We cannot sit by and wring our hands in fear. We have to act to prevent any more Stones from shattering. We must send word to Jehanna and Rausten!" Eirika suggested.

"And they will believe us? We do not have time to lose to such games," Hayden asked.

"I will go to Jehanna. If the visit comes from Frelia's crown prince, then I'm sure we can impress the seriousness of the situation to Queen Ismaire," Innes suggested. Eirika nodded at the suggestion.

"Then another royal should head to Rausten... I volunteer myself," Eirika stated. Innes agreed.

"Syrene, you will need to keep a close eye over Frelia. No offence, Your Majesty, but with Frelia's Stone shattered, Frelia is in greater danger, and you're not exactly up for the task of defending her," Ephraim pointed out.

"None taken, Ephraim. The thought of picking up a bow in this state..." Hayden chuckled.

"So what of you, Ephraim? What will you do?" Neimi asked. Everyone suspected what he had in mind.

"I'm going to Grado... I'll take them out at the heart! If I can defeat Vigarde, the Sacred Stones remain safe by proxy!" Ephraim confidently stated.

"Hmph..." Innes scoffed.

"Ephraim... after everything I went through... you want to challenge Grado again?" Eirika asked, the fear in her voice.

"You forget- this time, I have Tana," Ephraim stated.

"WHAT?" Tana asked in surprise.

"NO!" Hayden boomed, the sudden shock forcing him to stop there.

"...Prince Ephraim, I know you harbour feelings for Princess Tana. But she's needed here, as support for Hayden," Syrene told him.

"Tana, as just moral support? It'll bore her out of her mind, and the threat that looms over us is too great to let such a powerful sword on wings remain sidelined here," Ephraim pointed out.

"Ephraim... do you really have this much faith in Tana?" Hayden asked. Ephraim got down on one knee before him.

"...She saved my life. I can think of no one else I would feel safer joining," Ephraim told him. Hayden looked up at Tana.

"...Is this true?" Hayden asked. Tana took a moment to figure out her response.

"...Yes, Father," she finally stated. Hayden looked at her with some concern, and Tana found herself nervous to hear what her father had to say.

"...Very well. But come back to me, OK?" Hayden told her. Tana let out a celebratory yippee, and gave him a big hug. Hayden returned it uncomfortably, before she let go and grabbed Ephraim.

"Anyway... there will be three armies. Funds, I will provide. But as for troops, I have none to spare," Hayden told them.

"Actually... I have three small pegasus squadrons. I guess I can see to dispatch one apiece. Vanessa, Tana, since I can tell you two will be in different groups, you will take command of your groups. I can trust one of you can organise the third?" Syrene asked. Eirika nodded.

"If any of us falls, Grado gains a tremendous advantage. We cannot allow error," Ephraim stated.

"Mistakes never appear when I take charge," Innes responded.

"I have no doubts. Doubt is the first step to failure," Eirika added.

"All right, people, time to head out!" Tana exclaimed.

* * *

 

Syrene saw the group to the entrance hall. Everyone was assembled and awaiting the order to move out.

“All right… Ephraim, Innes and I will be leading three parties to head in three directions. Ephraim will be going to Grado, to strike the imperial capital. Innes will travel to Jehanna, and I to Rausten, both to warn each nation about the dangers threatening their Stones. You are free to choose whichever army you would like to accompany,” Eirika explained. Her few soldiers from many origins looked between each other, and chose their parties.

Eirika would be accompanied by Seth, Neimi, Colm, Garcia and Moulder. Her journey was expected to be the most relaxed, and most of her batch was chosen out of loyalty to Eirika or Neimi. Moulder was mostly there to continue inspecting Seth and Eirika’s wounds.

Innes would be accompanied by Vanessa, Joshua, Natasha and two mercenaries that Innes had commissioned. Vanessa was clear in her reasoning, even if she never said why, while Joshua had decided to come along to Jehanna for ‘personal reasons’. He… didn’t elaborate on those. Natasha was joining him.

Ephraim, finally, had Tana, Ross, Franz, Lute and Artur. He had a fair few aspiring soldiers ready to earn their mark by fighting against Grado- and Artur, who was coming to make sure Lute kept focused. Franz also admitted he wanted to avenge Forde by making a direct strike.

Gilliam, meanwhile, had made the decision to remain in Frelia with Syrene. With the Tower of Valni becoming overcome with monsters, Frelia’s defense would certainly need a strong warrior, and Gilliam wanted to aid Syrene in that effort. Eirika, Ephraim, Innes said their goodbyes, and departed in their three directions.

The war had only just begun.


	11. Porting Disaster

_ Eirika decides to travel by sea to the theocracy of Rausten. Accompanied by the concerned Innes, she arrives at Port Kiris of Carcino. Carcino is a young nation, founded much later than the Battle of the Demon King, and houses no Sacred Stone. The leader of the ruling council of merchants, Klimt, opposes Grado’s imperialistic actions, and has pledged support to Frelia. Both Innes and Eirika believe that resistance is unlikely, but come prepared for the worst. _

* * *

 

Eirika and Innes stopped their march outside Port Kiris, and set up temporary shelters. It seemed unlikely that Eirika would be departing Kiris on foot, but it was always a good idea to make sure Plan B was at hand. Eirika sat down, watching over the bustling town of Kiris. Innes, after a short pause, followed her.

“Why did you choose to accompany me, Innes? Your trip to Jehanna would’ve been faster had you not concerned yourself with my path. We had to go slower for Neimi’s sake, remember?” Eirika asked. Innes turned to Neimi, who was handling her new horse’s tack much better than at the start of her journey.

“I want to make sure your journey is a safe one,” Innes told her simply. Eirika rolled her eyes.

“Innes, I’m going by boat. Really, aside from Melkaen, the trip doesn’t sound too bad. I’m more worried about you,” Eirika told him. Innes didn’t answer, watching Port Kiris a little while longer. Eventually, his eyes narrowed.

“What?” Eirika asked, looking around.

“Kiris boasts a reputation as a fine trading port amongst Frelia, Renais, Rausten and Carcino, connecting the four countries in trade. Renais has fallen, yes, but there is nowhere near as much activity amongst the boats as that reputation would suggest. No boats have launched, docked… and the sailors aren’t even readying them,” Innes stated. Eirika looked at the boats. Sure enough, aside from one sailor stationed on guard duty on each boat, there was absolutely no naval activity. And those guards could hardly be called ‘active’.

“That boat ride doesn’t sound promising…” Eirika stated. Innes nodded, and turned to the party.

“Seth, Neimi, I want to approach Kiris and study an observation. Might I request you join Eirika and I?” Innes asked. Both singled out nodded.

* * *

 

Eirika, Innes, Seth and Neimi approached the odd port town with some trepidation. All four had prepared their names and story- Erina and her crew of mercenaries were on their way to Rausten to receive a commission. They looked around port, searching for a sailor.

“Wait… are they…” Eirika asked, looking forward. Innes looked up, and peered at the group.

“If anyone asks, I am tending to our horses,” Innes quickly threw out, before leaving the group and returning to camp as quickly as he could while remaining unobtrusive. Eirika looked between the retreating Innes and the feasting figure of the quaint L’Arachel, wondering what on earth Innes had with the girl, before L’Arachel looked up.

“Oh, hello! Dozla, Rennac, it’s Erina!” L’Arachel called out. She virtually ran forward, and gave Eirika a massive hug in greetings. Eirika turned to Seth, who was just as puzzled as she was.

“Oh, hi, L’Arachel…” Eirika muttered nervously. L’Arachel stepped back, and beamed.

“Then I suppose my secret is up. I had never expected someone to pierce my wonderful disguise quite so easily, but if providence wishes… anyway, what brings you all the way here, Eirika?” L’Arachel asked. Eirika jumped.

“Did Prince Innes think he was really hiding from me?” L’Arachel asked, looking in Innes’s direction, but not quite finding him.

“Um… sure. So, we need to get to Rausten, and we were looking for passage…” Eirika told her.

“Ah, but I’m afraid the divine providence is angry. The boats of Kiris refuse to sail on those uncertain seas: rumours are that Captain Blackwing sails upon the seven seas once more. Don’t be daft, I told them, if I met Blackwing, I would smite him down in an instant, and save the seas from his tyranny! But they babble on about these curious qualities the  _ Ampithere _ allegedly possesses that make my magic useless… sigh. Such doofuses. But yeah, sailing’s a no go,” L’Arachel explained. Eirika sighed.

“What route to Rausten would you recommend, then?” Eirika asked.

“The overland route, of course! Sure, it is long and full of hardship, but no better way than hardship to become acquainted with your closest of friends, gain proficiencies you never thought you had, or even meet new people to forge bonds with. I never deny myself a longer route!” L’Arachel exclaimed. Rennac muttered something. Eirika knew she couldn’t hear what because he didn’t want L’Arachel to.

“…If you’re sure…” Eirika muttered.

“Don’t believe in my righteousness? Then I shall accompany you and prove I am right. Come now Dozla, Rennac,” L’Arachel proclaimed. Eirika stuttered out a confused… something, only to hear a sinister laugh from her side. Seth stepped forward, looking at the laugher.

“Who are you, you foul person? And what business do you have intruding on the conversations of women holier than thou?” L’Arachel asked. Eirika looked at her.

“What now? I knows whose youse are, and youse not holies. Youse Princess Airika… and I knows people berry interested in yousa,” the fellow chuckled.

“That’s it! I give up! Seth, I’m checking on the others. Neimi… can you decipher this?” Eirika asked in frustration. Both L’Arachel and the brigand turned to her, looking somewhat hurt, but Eirika had turned and marched off back to base camp.

“If I understood half of what you said…” Neimi muttered, before drawing her sword. She held it up to the brigand.

“…Yousa thinks yousa can match mesa?” the brigand asked.

“We’ll see,” Neimi muttered.

“I think not…” a voice chuckled. Neimi looked around, and after a few sweeps, her eyes encountered a woman leaning against a post. She was most certainly not there when Neimi was looking in that direction twice before. She wore a cute-looking dress that appeared to have billowing sleeves, and a wide-brimmed hat that covered her eyes.

“…And what business do  _ you _ have?” Neimi asked, annoyance creeping into her tone. It was hard to formulate a good plan when wrenches were thrown in every thirty seconds.

“Oh, me? I’m called Delphine. I’m just a regular old witch doing my regular old duty. That involves dealing with you and that princess of yours, so if you’ll excuse me…” the woman chuckled, before pulling out some kind of stick. She vanished, and Neimi took a moment to look around her. The brigand was growing muscles, the sailors were whipping out axes, civilians had armour appear as if from nowhere…

“Delphine has some power… we’d best rendezvous with Eirika and Innes and form a plan,” Neimi suggested, to Seth’s agreement.

“Ooh, a rendezvous! Do we get to sneak around on tip toes?” L’Arachel asked excitedly.

“Well, no one does that better than me! Gwa ha ha!” Dozla roared.

“Yeah… let me do a little recon, all right?” Rennac suggested, disappearing. Neimi nodded vaguely, understanding why Eirika left, before leading the cause of her headache back to her.

The thought of somehow abandoning L’Arachel crossed her mind, but she didn’t see how she’d come about succeeding at that plan.

* * *

 

Eirika brushed through the forest, and looked around the camp. Innes’s group had  made a swift departure, taking only their essentials while leaving a healthy amount of supplies for Eirika. Colm sat on watch duty, while Garcia and Moulder were talking amongst the pegasus squadron.

“Ah, Eirika, how did it go?” Garcia called, giving a wave.

“No boats, and I met two people that give me headaches just talking to them. Moulder, do you have staves for that?” Eirika asked, rubbing her temples. Moulder chuckled.

“I’m afraid the only cure for impatience is patience,” Moulder stated philosophically.

“Um… I think we’re about to be under attack. Maybe. I couldn’t quite understand him… little help tacticianing?” Eirika asked. Moulder nodded, and called the order for a scout to be made amongst the pegasus knights. Eirika retired to her tent, and took a moment to cool her head.

“Father Moulder!” Neimi called out. Moulder looked up, and noticed her and Seth’s panicked faces as they approached.

“What happened? Eirika reported headaches,” Moulder asked.

“We found that L’Arachel girl again, there’s a bandit after Eirika’s head… I think, and then some witch goes and turns all the civilians into bloodthirsty soldiers,” Neimi reported.

“Really? Hm… then I suppose we’d best approach the situation carefully. How I wish I had Lute or Natasha… one of them might’ve studied curing headaches,” Moulder muttered. Neimi narrowed her eyes.

“…Lute might have a book that could help,” Moulder adjusted his statement. Neimi nodded, and awaited the pegasus knight with the map.

* * *

 

Neimi took the map, and looked between her party and the item itself. The massive one that was very definitely evil was waiting by the docks, and it appeared that anyone on foot or on a horse would have to take a long detour to reach him from here. She could send the pegasus knights, but there were archers sitting around, and she knew she couldn’t expect the same results she would of Tana.

“Is that the map?” Eirika asked, walking over. Neimi nodded, and Eirika joined her in inspecting it. She traced the route thoughtfully.

“What’s the scale?” Eirika asked. Neimi took a moment to check the sizes of the buildings.

“I’d say… uh… what’s your point, anyway?” Neimi asked. Eirika pointed at where the archers were gathered.

“Do you think you could hit them?” Eirika asked. Neimi looked at the drawing uncertainly. Comparing the size of the houses again, she knew she could possibly make the necessary shots. But something stopped her.

“Eirika, those are citizens of Carcino enchanted to attack us,” Neimi pointed out. Eirika’s expression hardly changed.

“Then don’t hit them. Miss them, like your grandfather did. Scare them, distract them from the pegasus knights. I’ll fly with them, and deal with the guy with the weird voice. Seth will lead Garcia and Colm along this route. What the enemy considers-” Eirika started, before Neimi coughed.

“Hm?” Eirika asked.

“Could… could Colm stay with me? I might need help spotting…” Neimi told her nervously.

“…All right. Seth and Garcia will travel along this route. If the enemy considers them a threat, the pegasus knights will have less enemies to deal with. If the enemy ignores them… they just ignored two of Renais’s most seasoned soldiers. Their funeral,” Eirika told her.

“…Why are we bothering to try and take this place, anyway? If you want a boat, that ship has sailed. The rest will not,” Neimi told her.

“…To save the citizens of Kiris, of course!” Eirika told her.

“…A good a reason as any, I suppose. And I suppose one of us could figure out how to sail a boat,” Neimi told her.

“Oh no, you’re planning on circumventing the wondrous journey across the overland route in favour of your stubborn insistence on using a boat to circumvent it?” L’Arachel yelled out. Eirika sunk her head down, remembering she had probably joined their group.

“L’Arachel, you’ll be with Seth, Garcia and Dozla. I’ll send Moulder with the pegasus knights…” Neimi muttered, drawing a new arrow on the map.

“No way. I’m not joining forces with a bunch of quitters! Come, Dozla, let us find Rennac and continue on our way!” L’Arachel called.

“Gwa ha ha! Of course, Lady L’Arachel!” Dozla exclaimed proudly. Neimi watched them go wistfully.

“Could’ve used an extra axe,” Neimi sighed in regret.

“Thank goodness…” Eirika sighed in relief. Neimi scratched out her extra arrow.

“So, let’s try to get to the boats, doing something about that ‘bounty hunter’, as I think one might call that guy, and try to avoid harming the civilians? Sounds like one of your ideas,” Neimi told her. Eirika nodded, and began organising the effort to get that idea going.

* * *

 

Neimi sat on the closest edge of Port Kiris, watching the far side. With her keen eyes, she noticed some ex-sailors ravaging the boats. While they were now pirates of battle, they still seemed to know a thing or two- eschewing just ramming their axes into the hulls and instead messing with the decks, tossing several useful materials into both small fires and the depths of the ocean. But with Eirika already crossing on pegasus-back, withdrawal was not an option. Besides, they still had a town to save.

“Archers are getting ready,” Colm told her. Neimi nodded, and readied her bow. She nocked and aimed an arrow, considering the best position to fire at. She chose slightly to the left of the most prepared archer, and fired. The archer was jolted from his shot, and ordered another archer to fire at Neimi. The arrow fell into the water between them.

“So… you specifically asked for me on spotting duty?” Colm asked. Neimi fired an arrow into the air, discouraging the archers from retreating- she had just hit where they would be had they walked away instead of slowly backing away.

“Yeah… that was just me being selfish, though. Besides, staring across a river to help your girlfriend shoot around a few brainwashed civilians is much more suited to your talents than an all out charge against dozens of enemies,” Neimi chuckled. Colm nodded, sighing. The archers were arguing about how one might go about angling their bow to get an arrow across to Neimi’s side of the water. Several pegasus knights had flown over their heads in the meantime.

“…I notice you didn’t deny the girlfriend part,” Neimi told him, her bow down. She hadn’t fired for a while, but her archers were sufficiently fearful of the chance. She thought back to her  _ own _ archers- they had a lot of training now. She wondered why Eirika didn’t assign them a job.

“Yeah, well… it’s something I’ve wanted for a while… I didn’t know you thought of me that way,” Colm admitted.

“Colm… what you did to fight Bazba… saving me, keeping the other girls safe… helping Tana… that was really brave,” Neimi told him. Colm looked back to where the other girls were- they wouldn’t be reinforcing them. They were too far back. Neimi fired an arrow without even looking- though they both managed to hear the sound of arrow on stones.

“…You do realise that was all selfishness, right? I wanted the most beautiful of the girls for myself, and-” Colm started, before Neimi dropped her bow and kissed him. Colm took a moment to check the archers, but they seemed quite busy with their own efforts. The pegasus knights were the furthest things from their minds.

* * *

 

Eirika dropped down besides the warrior, drawing her rapier and making her approach. The warrior turned to face her, giggling slightly.

“So Princess Eiririka comes to moi-moi? Well, don’t dis make tingys fun?” the warrior asked. Eirika chose not to listen- her mind had to remain focused. She lunged with her rapier, to which the warrior dodged. He cleaved down with his axe, and Eirika stepped back, the blow glancing off her breastplate. The force sent her stumbling very slightly, but slight the bandit capitalised on. His second strike was aimed horizontally, and Eirika quickly fell over to avoid getting struck. The bandit stepped over her, brandishing his axe.

“Pablo say bring livey or deddy. Deddy looks easy-peasy!” the warrior boasted. Eirika closed her eyes, and focused her movement. She brought her leg up, and managed to bring it around with enough force for a strike. Her eyes opened, and she saw that was in the crotch. Making sure to avoid the dropped axe, Eirika got to her feet, and drew her own rapier.

“Yeah, I don’t die that easily. Why don’t you go run to your master with your tail between your legs and tell him that? Perhaps next time he’ll send someone with enough brainpower to talk like a normal person,” Eirika told him. The warrior nodded, and scurried off. Eirika lowered the point of her sword, and looked around at the port. Some of the pegasus knights were inspecting the boats, but no one had offered a suggestion that they had any idea what to do with the villagers.

“Princess Eirika, it may be time to consider abandoning this position,” Seth urged. The group was continuing to fight and disable the opponents, but there was only so long that they could push with the flat of their blades. Eirika turned to see a sniper, who was quickly shot in the neck by Neimi. He dropped to the ground, and didn’t look like he was getting up.

“…We can’t break the spell…” Eirika stuttered out. She took another look at the fallen sniper, and nodded. The pegasus knights picked up the footsoldiers, and airlifted them away. Before they could reach base camp, another pegasus knight appeared before them. Vanessa.

“Princess Eirika, you must hurry! Innes has been ambushed by Carcino mercenaries!” Vanessa told her. Eirika jumped in the pegasus’s saddle, the Frelian rider helping her stay on.

“Carcino? Have they betrayed us?” Eirika asked.

“It’s a small country led by merchants… no doubt they saw how powerful Grado was getting and ‘bolted for the winning team’, as the saying goes. Still, if that’s the case, going overland is getting a lot more dangerous…” Seth reasoned.

“Innes is in danger, Seth… that’s Joshua and Natasha, too. We owe them, at least. Besides, we’re not setting sail with the boats in this condition. We have to hurry after them,” Eirika told him. Seth nodded.

“We must rescue Prince Innes, at any rate, or his mission will be compromised, too. Vanessa, we’ll be as quick as we can. Innes couldn’t have gone far, could he?” Seth proclaimed. Vanessa looked back to Innes, before helping the pegasus knights get to camp.


	12. Disgusting Rule

_ Ephraim begins his southward march upon Grado. With the aid of Innes’s soldiers, Frelia has established a firm defence at Frelia’s borders, which Grado has been unable to surmount. Ephraim moves to reinforce this line, as well as push it forward into Grado territory. Grado has organised its troops at Fort Rigwald, however, in which Grado intends to wait out Frelia’s siege as Frelia had been doing to Grado. Ephraim, however, is undaunted by such a resistance. He moves out, determined to root out Grado. _

* * *

 

Vigarde stood before his six Imperial Generals, pacing rather intimidatingly. Everyone was anxious for their new orders, though how anxious varied from general to general.

“The Stone of Frelia has been shattered. Yet Renais remains whole. Glen, Valter, I want you to track down that Lunar Brace! Glen, find Eirika, and conquer her. Valter, I need you to keep an eye on that Prince Frelia character, make sure he doesn’t sneak up and reinforce Eirika when Glen has him cornered,” Vigarde ordered.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Glen stated simply, at peace knowing the falcoknight had been checked and was now in a known position. Granted, she was preparing an attack on Grado assisted by Ephraim, but at least they knew that. Glen was honestly still surprised that falcoknight was Princess Tana of Frelia.

“Eirika, eh? I’m long overdue for finally capturing her. And Innes will be easy prey with my wonderful Fili Shield… the thought of knocking down that dandy makes my blood rush! Maybe this’ll be fun!” Valter suggested gleefully. Glen sighed inwardly as Valter rushed to be the one to capture Eirika. Glen followed, prepared to keep Eirika safe from the madman. Vigarde turned.

“Caellach, Riev, it will be your duty to shatter the remaining Sacred Stones. Caellach, take Jehanna. Riev, Rausten. I hear you know those countries, so acquiring those Sacred Stones should be easy for you,” Vigarde explained.

“Heh heh heh… I will arrange Rausten’s downfall, my lord!” Riev chuckled raspily, disappearing without further ado.

“I had hoped I’d need never return to that accursed desert country… but if that is as His Majesty wishes, I will certainly acquiesce,” Caellach muttered, stomping from the room much more mundanely. Selena scowled at the treacherous smirk she saw on Caellach, as she and Duessel moved to receive their orders.

“General Duessel, you are to go to Frelia, and put a stop to Ephraim’s advance,” Vigarde ordered. Duessel nodded, but stopped short of leaving.

“If I might be so bold as to ask a question, what is it you intend on doing with Renais now that it has been conquered? Thieves and bandits gallivant across the land as if they own the place, and that paladin you appointed regent isn’t exactly the model of sanity…” Duessel asked.

“Leave them,” Vigarde stated simply. Duessel went to sputter out a feeble protest, but Selena urged him against it. Selena received her orders to guard Gormlaithe, and followed Duessel out of the throne room.

* * *

 

“Please, Selena, I need to know why our Emperor has started this war!” Duessel called, as Selena calmly continued to take him along. She had actually only managed to get him to the throne room doors, but progress was progress. Selena paused, waiting for Duessel’s next words.

“Selena, you know I would gladly offer my life in service to the honourable crown of Grado. But these actions… these orders… these are not the orders of a just king! If I saw any way in which this invasion protected Grado, I would hold my tongue, but now… Now, Renais suffers. And Grado gains nothing. Why has this war started? Men march on and die for no reason! That’s not a war- that’s a murder!” Duessel ranted.

“Duessel, I appreciate that you have some issues with this… but you do have your duty to uphold,” Selena told him. Duessel thought about his duty. Fighting Prince Ephraim… he didn’t know if he even could. He could beat him, sure- he taught the boy everything he knew- but he didn’t know if he could find it in his heart to do so.

“General Duessel, you are to go to Frelia, and put a stop to Ephraim’s advance,” Vigarde ordered. Duessel looked up.

“…As you wish…” Duessel stated forlornly.

“General Duessel, you are to go to Frelia, and put a stop to Ephraim’s advance,” Vigarde ordered again.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Duessel waved away.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just… angry,” Lyon stated nervously, before giving a few furious whispers to his father. Duessel did not figure now was the time to investigate.

* * *

 

Amelia checked herself in a window one last time. Her armour was well polished and free from scratches, her lance was sharp and ready to punch its way through armour, and of course, she had made sure her face was cleaned up. Gotta make that good first impression on her new commander, after all. Her evaluation going well, she entered Fort Rigwald, and looked around for the commander. She found said commander resting on a throne, chowing down on some odd-smelling dish.

“First Cadet of the Grado Imperial Academy Amelia, reporting for duty!” Amelia exclaimed confidently. Her commander shovelled down the remnants of his food, and peered closely at Amelia.

“…Well well… A bit on the daft side, but that’s how I like ‘em…” he muttered.

“Pardon? I came asking where it was I would be stationed!” Amelia asked, confused.

“Hm? Oh… uh, guards! Escort her to her ‘special station’,” the commander ordered. Amelia clutched at her lance, but with the menacing looking axe beside the commander, she thought better of attacking.

“…And where would that be?” the indicated guard asked. The commander shot him a glare, and the guard jumped to action. He took a hold of Amelia’s hand, and escorted her away.

“Sorry about Gheb. Once he sets his eyes on something, he loses all sight of reason… he got transferred here to maybe deal with the Whitewing, and by this point, I’d rather have lost to her,” the guard explained, once he was out of earshot. Amelia was just staring in shock. At that commander- Gheb, apparently- at the situation, about the fact the soldier took her hand.

“…Where am I going?” Amelia asked nervously.

“…You look like a nice girl, so I’m going to be honest. Gheb wants you for your body. It’s a despicable habit that ‘scared off’ at least three capable female soldiers. At least. I don’t want to see another one suffer the same fate, so I’m going to take you to the dungeons instead,” the guard explained.

“WHAT?” Amelia asked.

“Reports tell us that Prince Ephraim and Princess Tana are on their way here. I have no delusions about our ability to hold out against them. However, I do know you’ve got a long career ahead of you…” the guard trailed off, unable to figure out how to continue.

“What about Grado? And isn’t Ephraim like, ten times worse than Gheb?” Amelia asked more furiously.

“I’ve met Ephraim. Not for long, but if his first reaction to seeing you is to want your body, I’ll eat my helmet whole. As for Grado… you’ve heard the rumours, right? About Duessel and Vigarde?” the soldier explained to her pacifyingly. Amelia thought back to those rumours, and nodded.

“Never took much stock in them, but I’ve heard of them,” Amelia told him.

“If those rumours are true, Ephraim’s side is the one fighting for Grado’s future. Well… this is your stop,” the guard said. He opened the cell door, and gestured for Amelia to enter. Amelia, uncertain, complied, and the soldier locked the door. He then, surprisingly, passed Amelia the key.

“I suspect Ephraim will want to check the cells for potential allies. If he doesn’t, unlock the cell door and move on. Ephraim will very definitely have killed Gheb, so you should be free to travel as you wish,” the soldier explained. Amelia nodded vaguely, and sat down in a corner, turning the key over in her hands, trying to think about today’s events.

* * *

 

Ephraim looked up at the fortress. He noticed quite a few ballista peeking around the tops of the fortress’s parapets, and smirked. Tana would find those ballista, especially mounted as they were, fairly trivial challenges. Oh, how Hayden would react to hear how low on the hazard list Tana figured ballistae belonged.

“So this is Fort Rigwald… the ‘jewel of Grado’s defences’. It has stood unconquered for centuries. Bet none of those guys who tried use pegasus knights,” Tana chuckled.

“Yeah… we’ve got to take this to have a chance on seizing Grado’s capital. So what do you reckon, Tana? The enemy has the advantage in terrain and numbers, and those ballistae…” Ephraim pointed out. Tana scoffed.

“I’m not getting shot by something as unwieldly as that. Also, do you think the enemy has the strength to capitalise on that advantage?” Tana asked. Ephraim took a moment to realise what Tana was suggesting.

“Do you suspect the enemy will be unwilling to fight?” Ephraim asked.

“Well… Grado and Renais were best friends, probably better than us and Renais. This war was so sudden… the emperor had a change of heart, but it’s not like everyone else did. Surely the soldiers will fight reluctantly!” Tana suggested.

“True… and Duessel and Lyon are close friends of mine, and both detest fighting for fighting’s sake. Duessel even taught me the lance. I’m sure that we could find allies in them. As for this fortress, though… we’ve got to seize the throne room. Take out the commanders, and offer a pro-Renais alternative to this war,” Ephraim suggested.

“Good suggestion. I certainly couldn’t come up with anything better myself,” Tana told him. Ephraim turned back to his party. Franz and Ross were waving their weapons in preparation, while Artur and Lute had taken to reading.

“…I… don’t think you’re alone in that,” Ephraim muttered. Tana raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what Ephraim was suggesting. However, her question was forestalled by a Grado soldier, running himself ragged to approach Ephraim.

“I don’t know what he intends to do, tiring himself out like that,” Ephraim muttered, raising his lance.

“Wait, Ephraim… that’s a white flag… I think,” Tana told him. Ephraim inspected the odd item at the end of the stick.

“…I can see no other reason for one to stick what looks like a part of someone’s shirt to the end of a stick. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” Ephraim agreed. He and Tana dismounted, and held their hands out, showing they were unarmed. The soldier stopped moving before them, and started breathing heavily.

“Drink?” Tana offered. The soldier nodded, taking Tana’s canteen, and took a few sips. He returned it, and drew to a standing position.

“Prince Ephraim, Princess Tana, I assure you that the Grado militia stationed here are unwilling to fight. However, our commander, recently assigned here in the wake of Princess Tana’s accomplishments, refuses to accept failure, and his wicked axe has slaughtered our own…” the soldier explained. Ephraim and Tana shared a look- they were right. But how to capitalise on that…

“We can assume that, even though you’ve established contact, that commander will not be nearly as peaceful… what are you willing to tell us to allow us to relieve you of this man?” Ephraim asked. The soldier jumped, genuinely unsure of what happened next. He only really had one goal here in the first place- now he suddenly had the ability, and responsibility, to help more than just one.

“I… well, he’s seated fairly close to the front… a strong soldier should be able to easily reach him and start the fight. With him occupied, you could evacuate Grado… uh…” the soldier stuttered out nervously. Tana stepped forward, and placed a hand on his soldier.

“…You didn’t have a plan for that. That’s fine… but why, if I might ask, were you, and you alone, so bold as to make a surrender attempt?” Tana asked.

“Um… I don’t know how to say this tactfully…” the soldier stuttered, eyes darting to Ephraim.

“Tact is a luxury when intel is the name of the game. If this will affect future confrontations with Grado, I need to know,” Ephraim assured him. The soldier nodded, though it was clear he was uncertain.

“There are rumours around Grado… that you are a cruel taskmaster. Many of my comrades believe that to join you directly will not be to have a change in commander at all- in fact, since you’re on the move, you’d likely be worse. And what you do to your… um… ‘palace slaves’…” the soldier explained. Ephraim’s jaw dropped.

“I… um…” Ephraim stuttered out.

“Trust me, I wish that was based on a kernel of truth. We’ll have to slip in a demonstration of how much better serving Ephraim will be into our battle strategy. I have  _ no _ idea how that will happen, but it’ll have to. The extra men will be too helpful,” Tana told the soldier. Whatever confusion Ephraim possessed already was multiplied by Tana’s first statement.

“I have a plan for that, and it’s the reason I came out here. I am alone of Rigwald’s militia who knows the real Prince Ephraim. I’ve met him once before, though I don’t expect him to remember that. I’ve seen his kindness,” the soldier explained, clearly trying to pacify Ephraim.

“Just hurry the plan up. If you’re here against your commander’s will, he’ll notice eventually,” Tana told him firmly.

“Right. We got a new recruit from Grado’s Imperial Academy… remember how I mentioned Prince Ephraim’s ‘palace slaves’? Well, he wants that new recruit’s body after this battle. If you could rescue her and get her to join you, I’m sure everyone else will at least not fight you…” the soldier told them.

“Rescue her? I’m on it!” Tana exclaimed, turning to her pegasus.

“Hold… she’s not in that much danger. I locked her in the dungeons with her own key- she’ll be fine while you get that plan ready,” the soldier assured her. Tana looked between him and her pegasus, still clearly eager to go.

“Tana… hold. We’ll need to form this plan- we don’t even have indoor scouts!” Ephraim told her, putting his arms around her. Tana took in a breath, before letting her arms reciprocate. Ephraim gave her a pat on the back, and stepped back. Lute magicked up a table, and the soldier began to draw.

* * *

 

Nines inspected the ballistae before him. Manned by only the finest ballisticians in Grado, they were determined to eliminate the threat of ‘the Whitewing’, as she had been come to be known as to Grado’s rank and file. It did not matter to Nines- a pegasus was a pegasus, no matter how strong she may be. Pegasi feared ballistae. That was a fact of life.

*Whoosh*

A few ballisticians quivered in fear, but Nines and their companions quickly silenced that fear. They were ballisticians. They would take control of the skies. They had a secret weapon.

“The Whitewing approaches!” he called. The druids supplied by the Blood Beryl readied their staves, preparing to cast a Sleep spell. Putting her to sleep would be a death sentence for her- and it was hardly like they could put a stop to her otherwise. The Whitewing shot over the ballista, sweeping past the first few shots- warning shots, naturally- to fly over the battlements. She tossed two javelins down into the courtyard, striking both druids. One attempted to cast Sleep, but a second javelin stopped him.

“WHAT?” Nines asked. The ballisticians turned, quickly realising that the ballistae weren’t going to aim into the fortress proper, and grabbed their bows. The Whitewing was flying in circles over them, avoiding even the most sure shots in the bunch, and her javelins destroying their aim- but not them, somehow.

“It can’t be…” Nines muttered, looking back across the field. A small force was approaching, and in the lead was…

“No…” Nines growled, recognising that soldier. A traitor to Grado… he would pay. Nines evacuated the battlements, no longer caring about the disaster occurring above. He knew where that soldier would go. He was going to meet him there, and show him what happened to traitors.

* * *

 

“Ballistae disabled! Pegasus knights, advance!” Ephraim ordered. Thanks to the soldier’s advance warning, the Sleep staves did not slow Tana’s advance one jot, and his army could advance unhindered. The pegasus knights from Syrene’s squad surrounded the fortress, working their way to disabling the archers completely. Ephraim entered the fortress, and dispatched Ross and the soldier to the dungeons. Tana landed beside them, and drew her sword.

“The commander’s room is just ahead. Franz, Tana, you may need to dismount,” Lute stated. The group nodded, and Ephraim began a charge against the commander. Franz was interrupted by an odd cackle.

“What? Who’s there?” Franz asked, looking across at what seemed an empty courtyard- the Grado soldiers having fled at Tana’s arrival. His eyes narrowed, and he suddenly noticed an odd woman standing there. She wore a rather short black robe- more like a young girl’s casual dress than a robe, though it did seem to have billowing sleeves- and a wide-brimmed hat that lowered over her eyes. Her feet were bare, and her hands held some kind of rod.

“…Who are you?” Franz asked. This certainly didn’t look like one of Grado’s commanders. Or officers. Or even allied with Grado at all.

“They call me Delphine. I am a loyal member of the DDK, and I have been watching this world  _ very _ closely. You are Franz, son of Fredric, brother of Forde, correct?” the woman asked. Franz seized up, recognising those names.

“…They’re gone…” Franz stuttered.

“Well, of course, I know that. I, and I alone, watch the gateway to the land of the dead. And I have mastered this talent… perhaps you’d like to see instead?” Delphine asked. She vanished by the time Franz had blinked, and he looked around nervously. Almost by instinct, he brought his sword up to block an incoming strike, and stepped back to skate past a second. He looked up at the cavalier and paladin before him, seeing Delphine’s smile reflected in their eyes… startlingly familiar eyes.

“Dad? Forde?” Franz asked in shock, as he quickly blocked his father’s next strike. His brother thrusted with the lance, and Franz knew that to step forward would be to avoid it better this time. He had vague ideas on how he managed both dodges, but he knew that eventually, he would fail a dodge.

And then Delphine would claim him and use him to attack someone else.

* * *

 

Amelia looked up from her idle daydream about Prince Ephraim, and noticed a rather familiar face at the door of her cell. She narrowed her eyes, and he was quickly joined by a very intimidating fellow, with two axes at his sides, and a very pirate-like outfit.

“Who…” Amelia asked, almost crawling as she moved to the cell doors. As the little light of the dungeons fell on her, she noticed the pirate’s face change from one of anxiety to one of… recognition?

“I’m Ross. I’m with Prince Ephraim,” the pirate introduced himself with.

“I’m Amelia, First Cadet of the Grado Imperial Academy,” Amelia told him proudly. Ross chuckled.

“This is an army, and we are at war. Announcing that you’re the best in your class is not the way to go about introductions,” Ross told her. Amelia looked down nervously.

“Don’t worry- I was wet behind the ears once, too. I’ll be around to help you with being a soldier in Ephraim’s army,” Ross stated.

“And I’ll be there, too,” the soldier piped up. Amelia looked between them, a warmth climbing up her cheeks.

“Traitor,” a rough voice spat. The soldier pushed between Ross and Amelia, and watched the approaching figure. Wearing identical red armour, the two soldiers seemed like the same person. But one was prepared to fight for Renais, while the other was not.

“Nines… I should’ve known it’d be you who tried to stop me,” the friendly soldier told him, readying his lance.

“The punishment for treason is death, Finn. I hope you remembered that when you went against Gheb’s orders,” Nines growled, flourishing his own lance.

“The punishment for continuing to listen to that monster’s orders would be my death- and I’d hope it was only that. Nines, I believe in Prince Ephraim. And I will fight to make sure he liberates Grado. I knew I was going to have to raise the lance against comrades as a means to that end… prepare yourself, Nines,” Finn stated, lunging forward. Nines shielded the blow, and made his own thrust. Finn dodged his instead, sending Nines forward. Finn prepared a strike, only for Nines to get clear before Finn could land. The two circled until they faced one another in optimal positions. Nine chuckled, and lunged. The sound of his lance piercing Finn’s armour was quickly cancelled out by the lance digging in to him. The two soldiers stepped back, Amelia patching up Finn, and Nines wrapping a cloth around his own wound.

“How does it feel to know failure, Finn?” Nines taunted. Amelia turned to him, and picked up Finn’s lance. Nines chuckled.

“You don’t mean to betray Grado, too, little girl? Why could you not have accepted your place like a good little girl?” Nines taunted.

Amelia’s lance struck him right in the wound Finn had opened.

Nines let out a shocked breath, trying to continue to punish the traitors before him. But Amelia’s strike, slightly weaker than Finn’s though it might have been, caused much more damage- the head of the lance dug deep into his body. Amelia pulled the lance out, causing blood to flow out.

“Amelia, you make sure Finn’s all right. I’ve got to check on the others,” Ross stated, throwing Amelia a small satchel of herbs, before running up the stairs. Amelia found herself practicing her combat patch-up abilities, thinking to how poorly she handled that in the academy…

_ No… Finn is depending on you. Think about what Ross said. The academy doesn’t matter. _

She opened the satchel, and recognised the herbs and their effects immediately. She took a numbing herb, and pulled away Finn’s armour to observe his wound. Abandoning the thought of what it would be like to have a lance shoved into this wound, she started her work.

* * *

 

Tana grabbed Ephraim’s hand when she saw the man before them. Lute had consulted the map frequently, and yet the morbidly obese figure sitting before them was clearly not the commander. The helpful Grado soldier had mentioned many foul qualities of the man, but none of those suggested a bloated sack of lard.

“Well well… looks like my luck has turned ‘round...” the man, for want of a better term, chuckled, eyes solely on Tana. Everyone revised their estimate- this had to be the commander. No one else could be this foul.

“You’re Gheb, aren’t you?” Tana asked. Gheb drew an evil-looking axe- a Killer axe.

“Correct. So nice for you to know of my reputation ahead of time…” Gheb chuckled. Tana drew her own sword, and stepped forward.

“Then I suppose it’s time to return the favour. I’m Princess Tana of Frelia, also known amongst the Grado people as the Whitewing, the terror of the skies. Though I could not fight you from Achaeus’s back, I will prove that I live up to that reputation,” Tana told him. Gheb tilted his head in confusion.

“How?” Gheb asked, before Tana lunged forward with her sword. The strike missed her mark, only really disabling Gheb’s left arm, but Gheb couldn’t do anything to stop it. Gheb growled, and started to spin around like a top. Tana smirked, and brought her sword up, thrusting her body weight into stopping the spin. Gheb pirouetted around on the spot, dazed, but Tana’s sword fell to the ground. Tana dived to her sword, cursing her losing her advantage.

_ “Thunder of the heavens, unleash my anger!”  _ Lute casted. Tana turned, and noticed Gheb writhing on the ground, the lightning bolt being casted shortly after Tana jumped away.

_ “Shine your divine light upon the monster before me!”  _ Artur added, using some Light spell to finish Gheb off. When the bright light cleared, Gheb left no remains whatsoever.

“That’s odd… normally, that only happens to monsters…” Artur muttered.

“From what that soldier said, he probably was one,” Tana joked. Ephraim knelt beside her, and took her hand to help her up. Tana smiled, wondering what the attention was for.

“Tana… I’ll have to speak to the Grado soldiers soon, but after that, I want to talk to you,” Ephraim muttered in her ear. Tana blushed, but Ephraim had already turned to Artur and Lute- or just Lute.

“Artur left… something about Franz?” Lute asked. Ephraim looked around the room.

“Franz!” Ephraim exclaimed, realising Franz had never followed them. He followed Artur, and Tana and Lute quickly followed behind.

* * *

 

Franz found himself on the ground, his father’s sword pushing against his own. He was putting all his strength into countering the stroke, but his strength was wearing thin, while Fredric’s seemed limitless… and that wasn’t without keeping an eye on Forde…

_ Father… _

Out of the corner of his eye, behind Forde, he saw an odd sight. An axe seemed to have been thrown into the air, spinning around menacingly. As it fell, a rough arm appeared to grab it and ensure the blade met Forde’s back. Forde disappeared in a cloud of dust, and Ross replaced him.

“Ross!” Franz called out, but not too loudly. The swordlock was a bit too close to his throat to try. He turned to his other side, and saw Artur casting a spell. Fredric was blown aside, and Franz uncertainly got to his feet.

“Are you all right?” Artur asked.

“Fine… just a little winded…” Franz breathed out, his voice feeling a little weak. Ephraim gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder, before stepping into the middle of the field, holding his hands out openly. In fact, he had passed the Reginleif to Tana when he was sure Franz was safe.

“People of Grado, I come in peace! I do not wish to fight a war with the men who swear loyalty to the man who taught me how to fight! My only hope is to restore the bonds of friendship between Renais and Grado! Commander Gheb is dead- you need not fear his harsh punishments!” Ephraim called. Slowly, surely, the red-armoured forces of Grado stepped out from where they had hidden. They saw Ephraim standing in their centre, waving kindly and continuing to shout pleasant statements. They approached with caution, knowing his reputation- and still fearing the Whitewing.

“Soldiers of Grado… does anyone know why Grado has invaded Renais?” Ephraim asked the crowd.

“N-n-no, sir…” a soldier pitched up. Ephraim grunted in annoyance, and the Grado people shivered. Ephraim held up his hands, smiling.

“How about this question- where is General Duessel?” Ephraim asked.

“He remains in the capital,” a soldier told him.

“He has been ordered to mobilise against you, but he refuses.”

“Instead, he remains, furiously trying to ask the same questions you do, preaches the same messages you’re trying now.”

“He’s putting his life on the line.”

“Thank you, thank you. I’m glad to hear Duessel is still the strong man I learned the lance from. What about Prince Lyon?” Ephraim asked. This question was not answered as readily- though the expressions on the soldiers told them they knew.

“Come on… I’m not going to execute you for telling me what I don’t want to hear,” Ephraim assured them. Whether most believed him was up in the air- at least one did.

“According to rumour… the emperor’s decision to begin this war was on his suggestion,” the soldier stated. Ephraim did a double-take, turning to the soldier. That soldier found himself uncertain.

“What… I knew Prince Lyon better than anyone, except maybe Princess Eirika. There’s no way he’d start a war- he hates bloodshed!” Ephraim exclaimed.

“I have heard the same rumours, my lord!” a soldier far from the first piped up. Ephraim’s face fell into his hands.

“Thank you, soldiers of Grado. Prince Ephraim does not wish for more blood to be spilled than necessary. We will be moving on to strike at Grado’s capital, to find answers to why this war was started in the first place. This fortress will be reinforced by Frelians. As I see it, you have three choices- join us on our march, remain here and assist the Frelians, or return to your homes and refuse to fight. We respect that many of you might not want to fight your friends in Grado’s employ- but we fight for Grado’s benefit,” Tana called out, coming to comfort Ephraim. The soldiers looked amongst each other.

“…Heh. I know what many of you are thinking. ‘You are the Whitewing. You’ve slaughtered us in droves for no benefit’. And you are right… there are many of you whose friends I will have killed. I have nothing to say in defence of myself. I was simply trying to save Ephraim the only way I knew how- getting stronger by gaining experience, so that I might blossom into the strength of a falcoknight and be able to stand up to Valter. I was, and probably still am, young and naïve. I did not think of Grado soldiers as people. But there’s one of you who changed all that… one who reminded me who I’m fighting. One who reminded me why,” Tana explained. As she said this, that soldier stepped forward, supported by Amelia. His wound still looked bad, but he could at least move under his own power.

“Finn? You joined Renais?” a soldier asked. Finn chuckled.

“You remember what Gheb ordered as soon as he saw Amelia, right? I wanted to save her from that… and Prince Ephraim seemed to be a nice way to do so. He may fight our brothers, but he fights with honour. The soldiers in his care suffer far less than those that fight under commanders like Gheb, or those loyal to the new members of the Imperial Six. Duessel is out there, and he’s saying what Ephraim is- that this war is not a just one to fight, that the Emperor is not himself. I’ve met Ephraim before… I trust him,” Finn announced. His voice was not nearly as familiar with public speaking, but hearing that sentiment in a Grado soldier’s voice helped settle the uncertain morale. The soldiers of Grado began to file up, ready to report their new allegiances to Lute.

* * *

 

Ephraim and Tana went to a side room of the fortress, and Ephraim sat Tana down besides him on a small bed. Tana smiled slightly, especially when Ephraim set one arm across her shoulder.

“Tana… you seemed a little concerned. Might I ask why?” Ephraim asked. Tana looked down, taking in a few breaths, before nodding.

“When I was with Eirika, there were these bandits. As part of her plan to stop them, she asked me to get captured, figuring I’d get thrown in the basement right off. As it turns out… they didn’t do that… they wanted… they…” Tana told him, before breaking pace. Ephraim pulled her in, and Tana started to let the tears fall.

“Thanks, Ephraim… you know… thinking of you was helping me hold that in…” Tana stated. Ephraim let out a quizzical noise.

“Oh, no, he didn’t succeed- Colm saved me before he got that far. But in those moments when I had resigned myself, before I saw him… I was just going to manage by imagining he was you…” Tana assured him. Ephraim nodded vaguely.

“I see… and Gheb being much alike that bandit awoke your memories of that day. I understand now…” Ephraim assured her.

“…Will you be all right? I know how important Duessel and Lyon are to you…” Tana asked. Ephraim jumped, taking a moment to think to himself about that answer instead.

“…Duessel and Lyon are men of integrity. I imagine I could be able to convince them to join us. However, if worse comes to worst and I must level Reginleif against them… I will not hesitate to strike. If they choose to fight, it is they who have broken our bond of friendship… and I shall not attempt to reforge a broken bond. Renais is far more important than them to me,” Ephraim told her. Tana’s eyes widened.

“So… you can… I…” Tana stuttered.

“Are you all right?” Ephraim asked. Tana nodded.

“It’s nothing… I just needed to hear that last part,” Tana assured him. Ephraim nodded uncertainly, and stood up. They’d best meet their soldiers.

The news was not what Ephraim was hoping for, but it was far better than it could have been. A very small faction of Rigwald would be accompanying them and fighting directly. At the end of the day, taking Rigwald did not supply the massive army that Ephraim wanted, to fight Grado on even footing… but he supposed he should have expected as much. A much larger faction was remaining in Rigwald, to assist Frelia in keeping a strong defensive line, or just out of loyalty or familiarity to the place. A sizable portion had returned to their homes, keeping out of future confrontations. And the final faction intended to return to Gormlaithe, to fight Ephraim another day. Ephraim knew to expect a total surrender was foolhardy, but hearing Lute say that was demoralising in its own way. He turned to the two soldiers who fought today- Finn and Amelia.

“Looks like you’ll be having company, but not a lot,” Ephraim told them. Finn chuckled softly.

“Don’t worry about it. I knew I’d be an outcast amongst Grado soldiers when I made that decision, but I’m proud of keeping Amelia out of harm’s way!” Finn assured him.

“I’m… I just hope I’ll be helpful against Grado… I mean, I haven’t strictly even claimed a role yet…” Amelia muttered.

“Don’t worry… I have that covered,” Lute told her. Amelia turned, watching Lute approach with a book Ephraim vaguely recognised.

“Is that the magic book you used on Neimi?” Ephraim asked.

“Yep. Amelia, I’m not sensing the same class role from you as I get from Finn. From what I gather, deep within you, there’s a potential to become a great knight… and with that, I have two classes I think I can get you to try- Cavalier or Knight,” Lute told her. Amelia looked at her oddly.

“You can do what now?” Amelia asked, completely in the dark.

“…Perhaps I tried too soon? Just ask Ross about it, and then come back when you’re ready. I guess I do need to get Artur ready to change…” Lute muttered, turning away. Amelia turned to Ephraim in confusion.

“…I don’t pretend to understand magic. All I know is that Neimi got a horse from nowhere. That’s about as informed as I am on this business,” Ephraim told her.

“…I guess this is why you don’t really get tactical advice from her?” Finn asked, also somewhat nonplussed by the mage.

“Basically. One more reason to find Duessel- I really do need a better second opinion,” Ephraim stated.


	13. Unsafe Assumption

_ Carcino has betrayed Frelia and sided with Grado. A Carcino force besieges Innes, jeopardising the Jehannan mission. With the boats destroyed and Kiris in shambles, Eirika presses on to Innes’s side, praying that her efforts could rescue Innes. Neither her nor Innes can afford to fall. _

* * *

 

Glen stood before Emperor Vigarde, wondering what his orders were to be. He had awaited Eirika at Melkaen Coast, but Vigarde had recalled him. With the mount of Cormag’s he still possessed, travelling across Magvel was really too much to be expected of him.

“General Glen, that witch of Riev’s has destroyed Port Kiris, and if I am informed correctly, all of the other ports in Magvel. Aside from our own, of course. Eirika will no longer be taking the water route. However, she does threaten to unite with Prince Innes. Your job is to kill her. Capturing her is no longer worthwhile. Kill her, and then take the Lunar Brace,” Vigarde ordered.

“…Your Majesty…” Glen stuttered.

“Eirika has destroyed many Grado soldiers. She is as dangerous as Ephraim if left unchecked. Kill her,” Vigarde ordered again. Glen held back his next protest.

“Understood, Emperor,” Glen stated, leaving the throne room. Cormag was waiting for him.

“So what’s the order?” Cormag asked. Glen gave him a defeated look.

“The idea of capturing Eirika has been abandoned. Our orders have been set to kill,” Glen stated. Cormag jumped back.

“Kill Princess Eirika? But I’ve heard such great things from her…” Cormag stuttered out.

“Nevertheless, an order is an order. I wish for you to remain in Grado… to kill Princess Eirika will be a heavy burden for me. I do not wish for you to join in my suffering,” Glen told him. Cormag nodded.

“Understood. I want to make sure there’s an eye on Princess Tana, at any rate. The soldiers call her ‘the Whitewing’, and live in fear of seeing her. Probably a good idea to make sure that we know she’s not actually going to attack random towns,” Cormag told him.

“But you’re not strong enough to handle Princess Tana!” Glen stated, completely appreciating the oddity of his statement. Cormag, a fierce wyvern knight of Grado, on his way to becoming better than the Sunstone himself, scared of the princess of Frelia? Glen almost laughed… and then Valter did it for him.

“Valter?” Glen asked, looking up at the new arrival.

“I’ve been listening to your mutterings, Glen. It is because of your weakness that Emperor Vigarde has expanded his Imperial Three to Six. And yet the duty of killing the princesses of Renais and Frelia falls to you two?” Valter taunted.

“Treacherous swine…” Cormag grunted.

“Peace, Cormag… Valter, you’re a wretch and a blackheart. Don’t think I don’t remember what you did to get yourself expelled from the Imperial Three. And I find your interest in Princess Eirika to be quite concerning. If Emperor Vigarde didn’t suddenly gain an interest in whatever meagre battling potential you possess, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill you now and protect her,” Glen growled.

“Glen?” Cormag started, trying to figure out how to pacify him.

“Tut tut… as you have said, Emperor Vigarde trusts me, and he expects my ‘meagre battling potential’ to be sufficient to take over for the poor results you, Duessel and Selena have been bringing in. If I’m meagre, what are you?” Valter asked.

“Valter, if you insult my brother one more time-” Cormag roared.

“You will do what, Cormag? Fighting me will show your disloyalty to the Emperor. You’re both very lucky I haven’t reported it already,” Valter claimed. Glen stepped forward, staring Valter in the eye.

“Your crimes are neither forgiven nor forgotten, Valter. I will never forget what you did that day. I side with you only because Emperor Vigarde gives commands that are in line with your own. Mark my words, Valter… I will see you held responsible for your crimes,” Glen told him coolly. He turned and left the room. Valter turned to Cormag, who did the same, but without a word.

“Hmph. Duessel never used that lance anyway. Why’s he still mad about that?” Valter asked, before moving out on his own agenda.

* * *

 

Prince Innes was pacing the length of the small fort he was forced to hole up in. It was down to him, the hardened mercenary Gerik, the mercenary dancer Tethys, and the odd pair Joshua and Natasha. Tethys was out observing the battle, and Joshua and Natasha were in a corner. Natasha seemed very terrified.

“So what’s the situation, Commander? Can we continue?” Gerik asked.

“Well, of course we can, what do you take me for? You two are the mercenaries, I’m surprised you two haven’t stopped,” Innes remarked. Gerik let out a chuckle.

“Commander, the thing about leading is that you need to set an example. If I chickened out at the first sight of danger, my loyal soldiers wouldn’t be so loyal,” Gerik told him.

“I don’t want people following me on a half-baked plan. That’s what got us into this mess, trying to avoid L’Arachel. It was my fears that surrounded us… but it will not be with fear that we lose,” Innes stated.

“Now, don’t go saying that! Saying that’s how you lose in the first place! We’re going to get out this mess,” Joshua piped up, stroking Natasha’s arm as he did so. Innes looked at the small part of Natasha’s face he could, and saw fresh tears.

“…How can I promise Frelian help will arrive? Vanessa’s good, but Frelia is still days away. And Eirika should be on a boat going to Rausten. But don’t get me wrong in thinking I believe we’ll fail- the fate of the world rests on our mission. I will make it to Jehanna if I have to crawl there,” Innes proclaimed.

“Yeah… Prince, I’ve got bad news, and then I have  _ bad _ news,” Tethys stated, coming back in from her scout.

“That sounds bad. Tell us what it is,” Gerik told her.

“The bad news is that we’re all out of stock. There are no more bows, swords or staves other than what you’ve got right now,” Tethys told them.

“And… the bad news?” Innes asked.

“They’re sending another wave. A big one, this time. I think it’s everything they’ve got,” Tethys reported. Innes let out a loud clap.

“Right. You’re all fired. Go on, shoo. Survive to see another day. It’s me they’re after,” Innes ordered. Joshua chuckled.

“Do you really think it’ll be that easy to get rid of us?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m making my escape to the southern mountains. How I’ll be doing that, I won’t be telling you. You’d just sell me out anyway,” Innes told them. It was Gerik’s turn to chuckle.

“Yeah… about that… you’ve chosen the worst time to bank your plans on the mercenaries you got being disloyal sell-outs. I’m not abandoning you just because you think it’s time I did. I don’t want to leave an encounter with a likable chap on a cliffhanger,” Gerik told him.

“Likable? Me? You’re deluded. I’m doing my job, and being liked for it was never in the description. I am Frelia’s heir, and I will do my damnedest to make sure that I live to see my country in peace. Never plan for best-case scenario, that’s what I learned,” Innes explained.

“Sounds like you’re making sure you’re the only one who dies… you do care,” Tethys teased.

“And I’m not going to abandon someone with that conviction,” Joshua proclaimed proudly. Innes noticed vaguely that Natasha wasn’t with him.

“You dare ignore my orders? I’m paying your wages!” Innes stated.

“No, you fired us. You don’t owe us a dime, you can’t use that one,” Tethys pointed out.

“Guess that makes us lousy mercenaries, right? But we’re still good soldiers- tell us your order and we’ll do it,” Gerik followed.

“Right… Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Innes muttered, turning back to pacing. Natasha let out a small gasp from over by one of the fort’s windows.

“Prince Innes… if, by chance, we would receive help, where would that help come from?” Natasha asked. Innes turned to her, confused.

“From the north. But I don’t know who you expect to be arriving- Frelia wouldn’t be mobilised for a few days, at least,” Innes remarked.

“There’s a force marching from the north. And it has pegasus knights,” Natasha stated. Innes ran over, and observed the force. As Natasha had stated, there was a large supply of pegasus knights. Innes narrowed his eyes, focusing his vision on the ground soldiers. He quickly noticed the leader of the group, a woman with long, light teal hair…

* * *

 

Eirika observed the field before her. She knew that the Carcino forces made their base to her right, separated from her by a mountain range impassable by infantry and cavalry, and defended from pegasi by ballistae. Before her was a large field with some walls and mountain ridges, with a fort stood to her left. From the way the Carcino forces were moving, she knew that fort had Innes in it.

“Vanessa, tell Innes we’re here. Take half of the pegasus knights. Seth, Garcia, keep the south fortified. Neimi, Colm, help me assault Carcino’s base. The rest of the pegasus knights, keep the ballistae distracted until we can get there and disarm them,” Eirika stated. Seth nodded at the plan, and everyone began moving. Eirika looked once more around the field, this time observing the tactics at play. Eirika nodded, satisfied with her movements, before leading Neimi and Colm around the mountain’s edge.

* * *

 

“Why is Eirika here? She should be on her way to Rausten!” Innes growled, pacing furiously. Gerik, Tethys, Joshua and Natasha peered out the window in turn, and all noticed Eirika’s rather recognisable figure on the field. Innes was much more concerned about why, and had resumed pacing. A knock sounded at the fort’s door- a Frelian knock.

“Vanessa?” Innes called nervously. Vanessa entered the room, blushing slightly.

“How did you get Eirika to help?” Innes asked in confusion, turning back to face in Eirika’s direction.

“Apparently, there are ugly rumours of a ghost ship prowling the waters, so all the sailors were terrified of setting sail. And some kind of curse prevented them from commandeering a boat themselves? I don’t get what happened, but the point is, Eirika’s taking the overland route now,” Vanessa explained. Innes cursed his own foolishness- of course the boats had been compromised. No wonder the sailors weren’t moving when he saw them.

“No matter, no matter… if Eirika had taken to the seas, we’d be dead by now, so I guess the ghost ship is a blessing in disguise. Nevertheless, our weapons are weakened, but we will press on. I will not run and hide while a woman fights for my honour… Joshua, reinforce her. Gerik, we will make our stand to the south,” Innes stated.

“And us?” Vanessa asked.

“You three can reinforce wherever you think is in most need of it,” Innes flippantly suggested, and everyone moved out. Innes flexed his silver bow, thinking about Carcino’s betrayal… but there would be time for explanations later. He had to feather the traitors before he had the time to hear why.

* * *

 

Eirika looked around nervously, as Colm began working on unlocking the door between them and Carcino’s base. There were a large number of corpses around them, thanks to Seth and Garcia, but the fact remained that she thought there should be a few more soldiers. She heard the tell-tale click of the lock being undone behind her, and turned. With a start, she noticed a small force of myrmidons and fighters waiting for them. Eirika jumped forward, brandishing her rapier, while Colm disappeared. Neimi quickly began reorganising her forces, pulling them back out of harm’s way while still offering enough cover fire for Eirika. Eirika lunged with her rapier, each strike hitting a critical point for the forces before her… but while they were a small force, she was only one woman. A myrmidon jumped forward, and before Eirika’s strike finished him, his sword ripped a scar right down her body, a vertical slice right over her navel. Eirika gasped, falling to the ground.

“All right, ladies! Sami, you get her to Moulder. The rest of you, it’s time for that secret technique we looked at!” Neimi roared. Eirika felt a comforting pair of hands pull her away, as Neimi let out a massive roar. Her girls seemed to glow, or maybe that was a trick of the light. The archers drew their bows, and the javelinists readied their javelins. With a call, they fired. At least, Eirika saw a normal motion. But the arrows in the air seemed too plentiful, the javelins going too high into the air, for this to be natural. The advancing force was slowed down heavily- a large number had fallen in that one move, and those who remained seemed somewhat hesitant about continuing with Neimi staring them down. With Joshua rushing in, the soldiers hurriedly realised their mistake, and tried to push on, but another call from Neimi helped Joshua finish them off.

* * *

 

Joshua advanced forward, Natasha in tow. With Neimi’s force exhausted from their effort, it was down to him- and whoever else the pegasus knight he encountered could collect to reinforce him. When he approached the doors to the headquarters, he heard a loud bark from somebody.

“Find Klimt and roast his old bones at once!” the man roared. Whoever he was barking at let out a nervous whimper as he scarpered away. He turned to Joshua thoughtfully.

“Who the devil are you?” he asked in the same tone. Joshua smirked.

“The name’s Joshua, though some call me Jhosua. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of the latter?” Joshua asked. Natasha turned to him thoughtfully.

“Jhosua… Wait, you’re…” the man asked.

“You bet I am. And I’m not happy with your actions here, merchant,” Joshua told him confidently. Natasha was staring at Joshua in confusion.

“Jhosua?” Natasha asked quietly.

“Later,” Joshua replied out of the corner of his mouth.

“I don’t care if you’re not happy! No one can withstand the might of Grado- it’s join them or get subjugated by them! I chose the rational decision! I could suggest the same of you, Jehannan scum!” the man roared. Joshua shrugged.

“I gave him an option. Now tell me, heads or tails?” Joshua asked. The man was about to call, but Joshua was fast. He rushed forward, and delivered the same blow that Eirika suffered. The man growled, and put his hands to the sides of his waist. The wound was stitching together. Slowly, but it was.

_ “Divine light of the gods, strike my enemy!”  _ the man called. By the time Joshua shook himself from the shock, the light magic spell struck him, sending him tumbling away. Natasha watched Joshua get blasted back, falling just short of reaching the stairs.

“Big mistake,” Natasha growled.

“Oh really? Am I to be threatened by a woman of the cloth?” the man barked. Natasha brought her hands together in prayer.

_ Eizariya, I call upon your power… please, give me the strength to protect Joshua. _

_ “Divine light of the goddess Eizariya, strike my enemy!”  _ Natasha casted. A brilliant bright light, much brighter than her opponent’s, shone from Natasha, and the man was sent backwards. Where Joshua had room to move, the man had none. Natasha stepped forward, placing her staff on the man’s wound.

“Yes. Yes you are,” Natasha stated. She pushed down on his wound, reopening it and driving into his squishier parts. Natasha closed her eyes, and tried not to imagine what the corpse under her would look like. Her mind racing with the thought that she had murdered in personal revenge, she turned to Joshua. Pulling her staff from the body, she turned and ran to his side. Her prayer in thanks would have to wait until she was sure she worded it properly- and that she knew Joshua was alive, too.

* * *

 

With the collapse of the rear lines, Seth and Innes drew their forces back to where they had begun, near the Carcino base. Aside from Colm, Joshua and Natasha, everyone looked like they had returned. Unfortunately, everyone was not all in one piece.

“Eirika!” Seth exclaimed, running up to the resting Eirika. Her wound was still uncovered and open- Moulder was putting a lot of work into closing it, but to no luck so far. Eirika opened her eyes, and looked up at Seth.

“Seth… I… I did it, didn’t I?” Eirika muttered. Seth smiled.

“Of course you did, Eirika. Carcino’s efforts have been halted,” Seth assured her. Eirika smiled.

“But it looks like you got scratched again. Keep this up, and you won’t fit on a battlefield,” Innes scoffed. Seth instinctively shot him a glare, before realising his place.

“Seth… I know it might sound strange… but… could you teach me to joust?” Eirika asked. Seth took a moment to process the request.

“…Joust, Eirika?” Seth asked, confused.

“Joust. Like in the tournaments? I… there’s something I’ve gotta do… and I feel I’d best know how to joust to do it…” Eirika muttered. Seth turned to Innes.

“…I’m as lost as you are. It’s Ephraim you want to ask. I can barely understand my own sister,” Innes told him. Seth turned back to Eirika.

“…Sure, Eirika… I’ll teach you to joust. But you’ve got to promise me you won’t get any more scars. After all, your plan’s going to fail if you can’t ride a horse by the time you… need to know,” Seth assured her. Eirika chuckled. She recognised that odd note in his voice- the note of uncertainty. A cough sounded from the direction of the headquarters.

“Prince Innes, there’s a ‘Lord Klimt’ asking for you. You know him?” Colm asked, returning. Innes jumped to his feet, and began moving forward.

“You want to meet Klimt?” Moulder asked, looking up from tending to Eirika.

“I don’t see any problems with the idea. Vanessa, you can come just in case, but really, I can deal with him at any range. If it weren’t for the building, I could probably hit him from here,” Innes boasted. Moulder sighed, returning to Eirika. Vanessa was quick to begin following Innes over to Klimt.

* * *

 

Innes found Klimt waiting patiently in the foyer. There was not a single weapon in sight aside from those Innes and Vanessa brought. While Innes saw this as an opportunity, Vanessa thought otherwise.

“Lord Klimt?” Vanessa asked.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, milady? Might you do me the honour of your name?” Klimt asked nicely, beaming as he began an approach.

“No, she will not. You’re one of the traitors who ordered my death. Were it not for Princess Eirika, you’d have seen me die on my mission,” Innes snarled, drawing his bow. Klimt gave a chuckle, and held up his hand.

“Peace, Prince Innes. You do not have the full story. I, too, was to be killed by the schemes of council member Pablo, whose corpse has been cleaned up before you arrived. Remind me to thank whoever finished him off, by the way,” Klimt explained. Innes lowered his bow, but the arrow remained nocked.

“What has happened?” Innes asked, somewhat curious.

“Well… I’m ashamed to admit it, but Carcino has become a nation divided. The rule of the country has always been done by a council of merchants, rather than allowing one man to control the path the nation walks. At peace, it is our strength, allowing biased ideas to disappear before they are implemented. Now, though… some of us support Frelia, while others, led by Pablo, support Grado. Unfortunately, Pablo decided to take the matters of Carcino’s future into his own hands… he offered bribes to those who supported Frelia. Those who refused began getting executed… until the others went underground,” Klimt elaborated.

“…I see…” Innes stated, returning his bow to his quiver.

“You can rest easy now, Lord Klimt,” Vanessa told him.

“No, I cannot… Lord Pablo is dead, yes, but he still has supporters beyond those that he bribed. I fear I must make an escape to Frelia to explain myself to the king. You should probably follow suit,” Klimt stated. Innes shook his head.

“We’ve got a mission… and we’re not letting merchants stand in our way,” Innes stated, turning and leaving.

* * *

 

Joshua stirred vaguely from where he was resting, still a little dazed from the magic spell. He sat upright, and looked around. He was sitting in a rather elegant-looking room- probably the Carcino headquarters. He shrugged, reasoning that it would probably be secured if he was being cared for. The idea that he was being captured occurred to him, but he really didn’t think much of that idea. Especially when he noticed Natasha kneeling at the foot of his bed, hands folded and eyes closed. She was very clearly deep in prayer, and Joshua knew not to disturb that. Natasha let out a little bit of a language Joshua recognised as Grado’s, but not the words itself, as she finished. Her eyes opened, and she smiled at Joshua.

“Thank you… I don’t know what you did, but thank you,” Joshua told her.

“It was nothing. I just called upon the goddess Eizariya’s favour to vanquish that traitor to the people of Carcino. It sounds like she was just as ready to do it as I was- she seemed very kind when I offered thanks just then,” Natasha assured him.

“It matters to me. So, Natasha… before we move on, I want to tell you… about Jhosua…” Joshua started. Natasha tilted her head, before remembering where she had heard that name.

“Natasha… I’m sorry, but I think that story is best saved for another time. It’s… it’s a long story… and I know there’ll be a place to explain it…” Joshua told her. Natasha smiled, and stroked his arm.

“Of course, Joshua. I don’t mind waiting,” Natasha told him. Joshua let out a nervous chuckle.

“Now come on, we’d better move. Prince Innes is no doubt pushing to move on and we’re still here,” Natasha urged him. Joshua stood up, and immediately a fresh wave of dizziness overcame him. Natasha took his shoulders, and helped to guide him along the path until the dizziness wore off.

* * *

 

The next day, as everyone was preparing to move out, Prince Innes found himself renewing the contract he broke with Gerik and Tethys, doubling their pay in gratitude for their defending him. However, the question remained of how they would be making their way to Jehanna, and from there Rausten.

“No matter what way I look at it, I see territory that’ll no doubt be infested with Carcino mercenaries…” Innes muttered, looking at the map of the country.

“Prince Innes… might I suggest taking Klimt’s advice and returning to Frelia? The danger eminent is too great,” Seth suggested. Innes shook his head.

“Not on your life. We’ve got to get to Jehanna, or Grado’s hunger will consume it. And the only way to get there is through Carcino. Renais would be worse,” Innes stated. Seth took another look at the map.

“And for us to get to Rausten without finding another port would also require moving forward…” Seth muttered in annoyance.

“As it is, pressing on will only invite more mercenary attacks,” Innes stated. Tethys walked up to the group, and checked the map.

“What about passing by Caer Pelyn?” Tethys asked. Innes and Seth looked at her in confusion, and Tethys traced her finger along a mountain path that emerged near the Hamill Canyon- close by Jehanna.

“Is Caer Pelyn a real place?” Seth asked.

“Of course it is! My brother Ewan studies magic there under Saleh’s tutelage,” Tethys assured him. Innes’s eyebrows raised, and he took a moment to think.

“Saleh, Saleh… I think Frelia’s spies have mentioned him… yeah, they definitely did. He’s a wise sage devoted to the defence of the realm on behalf of a creature he refers to as ‘the Great Dragon’. The name ‘Caer Pelyn’ also seems familiar, now that Saleh’s name jogged my memory… I think he’s trustworthy,” Innes recalled.

“Excellent! Then we shall pass by Caer Pelyn on the way to Jehanna. Goodness knows I should know the way by now,” Tethys proudly stated, ending on a chuckle.


	14. Battered Obsidian

_ General Duessel the Obsidian- Ephraim’s instructor in the ways of the lance, and an icon of great strength amongst the Grado people. Ephraim does not believe General Duessel to be a willing participant of this war, with the warm relationship he and Renais once shared, and thus Ephraim sees a potential ally. He makes his march on Grado territory in the belief that he can discuss matters concerning the reason behind the war with Duessel. _

* * *

 

Selena knelt before Vigarde’s throne, wondering what order he had for her today. Lyon seemed to be somewhat angry when he delivered the message, and the thought of something that could annoy him seemed a bit beyond her power. She would follow the order to the death, of course, but it was waiting for what that terrified her.

“I am prepared, Your Majesty,” Selena stated. Vigarde nodded, finally, seemingly awakening from an odd sleep.

“Duessel has made for Bethroen. You are to take a squadron and follow him. And then you will strike him down,” Vigarde ordered. Selena looked up at Vigarde.

“Pardon?” Selena asked. She had obviously missed an instruction.

“Duessel is a traitor to his country, and has sided with Renais. The penalty for treason is death,” Vigarde stated.

“…I’m sorry… not to accuse you, but there must be a mistake. Duessel, a traitor?” Selena asked.

“Your orders are to execute Duessel. You will enact those orders,” Vigarde stated.

“Um… Your Majesty? May I ask a question? When you appointed me as a member of the Imperial Three, you shared with me words of wisdom I have taken to heart all this time. You told me that the role of an imperial general is to be a shield, not a blade. We are to protect our own, not threaten our neighbours. Your Majesty…” Selena nervously started.

“Go,” Vigarde stated in a concluding tone. Selena sighed.

“I… I humbly acknowledge your orders, Your Majesty. I am a servant of the empire, a vassal of Your Majesty… I am General Selena the Fluorspar, and I will fulfil your order,” Selena stated. She focused on her magic. She would see Duessel defeated.

* * *

Ephraim looked up from the midday break he was taking, and noticed a pegasus in the air. He glanced at Tana, whose head was resting on his hip, before realising that pegasus knight was not her. He held up a hand, and the pegasus knight dropped down to his level. He recognised Frelia’s messenger emblem on the knight’s armour.

“What’s the report?” Ephraim asked.

“There’s been an uprising in Carcino. A faction of Carcino’s merchant council has sided with Grado, and staged a coup,” the Frelian told him. Tana sat upright.

“Is Eirika safe?” she asked with some concern.

“Prince Innes and Princess Eirika were both marching into Carcino territory, the boats at Port Kiris being unavailable to her. I do not know how the battle goes, but I hear that Eirika could keep it in her favour,” the Frelian reported, before flying back in Carcino’s direction.

“…Why does this always happen? Eirika continues to fight against all odds, and here I am keeping the strongest warrior in all the land safe,” Tana nervously cried. Ephraim budged along, and put his arm around her.

“…Eirika will be fine. She’s a big girl now, just like you,” Ephraim told her. Tana let out a sob.

“…Listen, that’s my sister in danger. If I could, I’d be right behind you in rushing to her aid. But we have a mission… and if we can defeat Grado, we can help her in our own way. But we have to focus on the task at hand,” Ephraim stated. Tana nodded, still a little terrified.

“Be careful, Eirika…” Tana muttered. At that moment, the ground started to shake. Tana jumped into Ephraim’s arms, and across the camp, everyone else found themselves bunching together with whoever was nearest. Well, the Frelians did, at any rate- the Grado soldiers just happened to be the nearest ones in most cases.

“What happened?” Tana asked, still somewhat scared.

“I don’t know. I remember Grado having tremors, a little. Lyon says they don’t cause any damage, but it still kinda startles me…” Ephraim assured her. Tana nodded nervously, and pulled her arms around to a more comfortable position.

“Anyway, break’s over. We’d better move on,” Ephraim told her. Tana sighed to herself in disappointment, but nodded.

* * *

“How are you feeling, Amelia?” Finn asked, helping her on top of her horse. After an explanation from Ross, Amelia had agreed to be class changed by Lute and become a cavalier. Seeing Lute’s companion Artur be class changed first gave her pause at first, but she knew she had to have the courage to fight on.

“I feel fine,” Amelia said simply. While Lute’s class-changing business was supposed to help the unit in question adapt quickly, Amelia still felt worried about her balance.

“Hah, I can tell you’re a little nervous. You’re still pretty new, and you haven’t really fought aside from Nines,” Finn told her. Amelia nodded. That sounded right.

“Um, Finn… what do you think of Ross?” Amelia asked nervously. Finn turned to him- he was hefting up some of Artur’s tomes easily.

“He definitely seems genuine. Why do you ask?” Finn asked. Amelia took a turn looking at him. Lute said something to him, and Ross started growling in annoyance. He was distracted from whatever conversation the pair was having by noticing Amelia, who quickly averted her gaze.

“I don’t know… I feel like there’s more to Ross than I’m giving him credit for, and yet I can never pluck up the courage to talk to him, because I’m scared it might turn out… well, not nearly as horrible as Gheb, but still like it,” Amelia told him. Finn chuckled.

“No one can be as horrible as Gheb. However, I would try and approach him. If you could be in safer hands here, I’ll eat my gauntlets,” Finn told her. Amelia chuckled.

“If Ephraim ever turns evil, you’ll probably wind up eating all of your armour,” Amelia told him.

* * *

 

General Duessel was standing slightly apart from his men, trying to reason out how he would face Ephraim. His mutterings continued until he noticed Selena in front of him.

“Ah, Selena. Did Emperor Vigarde ask you to join us?” Duessel asked.

“Sure… Frelia’s army will be coming from the north. We’re just waiting for the order to engage. Or for the Frelian Princess to start her assault- no Grado soldier’s going to wait for orders to get rid of her anymore,” Selena told him.

“The Frelian Princess? Then this must be Ephraim’s army. I will not permit our army to move first. I wish to speak to Prince Ephraim before there will be bloodshed,” Duessel told her. Selena sighed.

“So it is true. You plan to betray the empire and side with Renais,” Selena sighed.

“What? That was never my plan!” Duessel cried out.

“Too late now. Emperor Vigarde has accused you, and his word is law. Lay down your weapons and follow my commands. I will not hesitate to execute you where you stand if you resist,” Selena told him.

“This is nonsense… may the Whitewing come for you. Tell His Majesty that his prophecy came true because he did not wish it to be so,” Duessel taunted, turning to march away.

* * *

Ephraim took a moment to survey Bethroen. He knew that he was likely to face conflict, but if the place was not readily mobilised, he thought he could mitigate it using Finn and his men. From what he could tell (and what Tana confirmed from a quick glance from the skies), this place was mobilised, and actually attacking.

“Why on earth are they already on the move?” Ephraim asked. Tana went back into the skies, and looked around. She spotted two people- a grizzled old man with an axe and a sleek young woman armed with thunder spells- locked in an engagement. She relayed such to Ephraim.

“The woman is definitely Fluorspar Selena. I was there when she was knighted- quite a good quality mage knight. But the other… the only man that comes to mind is…” Ephraim muttered. He looked on the battlefield for a moment, before shaking his head of the musing.

“Franz, take the Grado soldiers and reinforce the man against Selena. I’ll be coming with you. Ross, I’ll need you to swim to the west and investigate that sinister-looking boat. Tana, fly to the east. Artur, you’ll be on healing duty. Lute, keep an eye out for flankers,” Ephraim suggested. Ross eyed the boat in question, taking a look at islands nearby he could target. Everyone else was eagerly awaiting his next line, and it took a while for Tana to realise it wasn’t coming.

“So who do you think we’re rescuing?” she asked. Ephraim jumped, quickly realising why the army wasn’t mobilising.

“General Duessel,” Ephraim said simply. But those two words got Grado prepared to fight.

* * *

 

Cormag was flying over Bethroen, still on the back of his brother’s wyvern Genarog. Glen had insisted, and Cormag found Genarog’s movements much cleaner than his own wyvern’s. Genarog himself, on the other hand, still took a little cajoling to get into action.

“Sir Cormag, Bethroen has been sighted,” one of the wyvern riders he had chosen to accompany him stated. Cormag looked up, and started to take in the place. Selena and Duessel doing battle in a port city… what was Grado coming to? He turned slightly to the right, and spotted Ephraim’s army. His distinct blue armour was charging in to Duessel’s aid, followed by what appeared to be a smattering of Grado soldiers. Cormag had little time to ponder the meaning of this when he noticed her. The falcoknight he and Glen had tracked down to Drake, the one who injured his wyvern in the first place.

The one Grado soldiers called ‘the Whitewing’ in the hushed tones one would speak of a demon.

“Hi!” the Whitewing said cheerily. Cormag would never stop being thrown off by the fact that the Whitewing was the optimistic, child-like Princess of Frelia.

“You! What brings you to seek me out?” Cormag asked, eyes narrowed. Tana giggled.

“Oh, you know, Ephraim thought I’d be better reinforcing this side of the battlefield, so he could focus on rescuing that guy Selena’s fighting. He’s General Duessel, right?” Tana explained. Cormag nodded, and Tana let out another one of those giggles. Cormag felt a little uneasy hearing that kind of giggle on a battlefield: it was rather like hearing a child’s laughter.

“…Do you recognise me, perhaps?” Cormag asked. Tana tilted her head, her expression one of wide-eyed confusion. Like her laughter, it gave Cormag the idea of fighting a child. Even with the knowledge that the Whitewing had slaughtered Grado soldiers beyond counting, it was difficult for Cormag to connect that reputation to the girl before him.

“You’re… the Sunstone’s brother, I know that much. I believe Glen called you Cormag. How’ve you been?” Tana stated. Cormag let out a bit of a splutter.

“How’ve I been?  _ How’ve I been? _ Grado is terrified of you, and as Grado’s foremost wyvern knights, it’s been up to Glen and I to liberate Grado of your threat. You’ve injured my wyvern- at Glen’s insistence, I’m using his! Princess, Whitewing… your entire thing has been doing wonders on my head! I… before you drive me insane, I have to stop you!” Cormag exclaimed hysterically. Tana’s face fell, and she looked down in a saddened manner. Cormag would’ve laughed if the situation hadn’t been so dire.

“Whitewing?” Cormag asked.

“You’ve seen them, haven’t you? Finn’s friends, the Grado soldiers. The ones who joined Ephraim,” Tana asked in a downtrodden voice. Cormag nodded.

“They’re scared of me still. Many of them had friends, brothers in those outposts. The legend of the Whitewing lives on. I try my hardest to show my cute, innocent, naïve side, but everyone apart from Finn still takes pains to avoid me. And I can’t blame them. I’d hate me too. I killed all those people for something intangible… combat experience. I wanted to get as much as I could. I wanted to be able to fight Valter and save Ephraim. And, in a manner of speaking, it worked. I fought off Valter and saved Ephraim… but not his friends. Forde and Kyle are dead because I was too slow…” Tana circuitously explained.

“…And now that you see Grado soldiers for the first time, you feel the suffering in their hearts… and start feeling guilty?” Cormag asked. Tana nodded, letting out a meek ‘mm-hm’. Cormag turned to his men. Men drawn to General Glen because of his kindness and generosity… and, much like him, the hatred for the Whitewing was absent. Cormag was silent, as he considered who to side with. Tana let out a gasp, and drew her sword. The wyverns behind Cormag drew their lances, but Cormag held up his hand. He heard it too. He turned around, and saw Valter descending upon them.

“Hello there, girl,” Valter snarled.

“Show some respect, Valter. I am the Whitewing, and I’ve kicked your butt already!” Tana taunted, in the way only she could make sound threatening. Valter chuckled, and lunged forward with his lance. Tana cleanly dodged, and looped around to strike. Valter watched her movements thoughtfully, and saw her attack coming from his right. He flew right out of the way, and as Tana continued along her follow through, lunged. Tana leaned back, grabbed the lance, and pulled. Valter chuckled, and pulled the lance away, pulling at Tana’s left hand. Tana grabbed one of her javelins, biting her lip at the pain in her hand, before tossing it. Valter chuckled right up until the javelin punched into his chest. Valter growled, and pulled it out.

“I have business with a powerful mage, so this isn’t a big deal. Take your victory,” Valter told her, turning to retreat. Tana smiled brashly, until she felt a javelin in her own arm. Cormag flew up to her, and pulled the arm up.

“Do you have your own healer?” Cormag asked.

“Artur. He’s over by the town entrance,” Tana told her.

“I’ll take you. There is no honour in Valter’s sadism,” Cormag told her. He pulled her off Achaeus, and told him to go meet them by the healer. Tana felt an odd feeling pass down her, as she tried to keep a strong head.

* * *

Valter landed beside General Selena. She had withdrawn from her engagement with Duessel to regroup, and Valter’s sudden presence barely registered in her mind- at least, until he angrily demanded attention.

“What?” Selena asked. He held out his wounded arm, and Selena shrugged. She didn’t have a healing staff on her.

“As for why I got sent here past that Whitewing… His Majesty has declared you untrustworthy for this mission. I will be the one to deal with Duessel,” Valter stated.

“…I beg your pardon?” Selena asked, confused.

“His Majesty’s bidding has changed. You’re no longer fit to fight against Duessel: you’ve echoed his sentiments, Ephraim will be just as willing to invite you to the Frelian army. You should be honoured I’m not killing you right now,” Valter taunted.

“I would rather you did than join the Frelians! My loyalty to Grado is absolute! I would never compromise it!” Selena stated indignantly.

“Then return to the capital and sort it out with the Emperor himself,” Valter told her. The glare they shared lasted for only a few moments, but Valter knew he had finally made Selena hate him as much as Duessel and Glen did. And he relished it.

“I know better than to trust your word. I better not hear you failed, too,” Selena coolly told him, turning on her horse and galloping away. Valter chuckled at Selena’s naivete.

“You there, on the horse!” Valter called out. The soldiers took a moment, before agreeing on who Valter was addressing. The unlucky soldier acknowledged the call, and Valter was satisfied with him.

“This bloodshed has not gone on long enough. We must continue… let hatred flow freely across all of Magvel. I’m putting you in charge here. Go feather some whitewings, whatever they are. I’ve got to go and attend to my darling Eirika… make sure that whatever it is Selena was doing gets done to the degree that I don’t get blamed for failure. Got it?” Valter barked at that soldier. The soldier turned back- Ephraim and Duessel looked pretty close to each other.

“…Sir, yes sir,” the soldier squeaked out. Ephraim and Duessel were a scary combination, along with the unaccounted threat of the Whitewing, but Valter was scarier… and in front of him. Valter nodded, and departed. The soldier drew his bow, looking around in terror for a target.

* * *

Duessel was startled by the sudden approach of Grado soldiers on his left flank. He was quick to start thinking of a battle plan, until he looked closer. There were pegasus knights with Frelian crests, and in the front were two men with Renais crests. One of the men, clad in blue with similarly coloured hair, looked very familiar…

“General Duessel!” he called out, running forward. It was clear as day in that moment who he was staring at.

“Prince Ephraim!” Duessel called back. Ephraim stood before him proudly.

“Duessel… we’re here to help you! I’m not letting my teacher get executed by his own men!” Ephraim boasted. Duessel gave a chuckle, the first thought that came to mind disheartening him.

“Ah, my apprentice… my service to His Majesty has been my life’s blood these many years. And now, that’s all gone…” Duessel told him.

“Duessel, I will not stand by and listen to this talk. Who will you help by dying? What will happen to this country, its people, its future, if you die? Will dying reflect on your loyalty? No, Duessel… you will live. You will be marked a traitor, but nothing could be further from the truth! You will live to aid the Emperor in the absence of the Emperor’s wishes, just as many Grado soldiers have chosen before you, and as I hope many Grado soldiers to come will. You will live to see your country restored to the one that you swore your oath to,” Ephraim bellowed. Duessel thought over those words. To live as a traitor would be to go against everything he thought he knew of himself… but to continue to follow the Emperor as he would would mean slaughtering the idealistic apprentice before him, the boy he had grown to appreciate as a father would- though he knew that feeling only went one way. He knew he really did only have one option.

“I understand. Gentlemen, we fly under Ephraim’s banner!” Duessel called to his men.

“We fight for a free Grado!” Ephraim interjected, before the men could come to think of his banner as being of Renais or Frelia. With the Grado forces Ephraim had and theirs combined, considering the force a renegade Grado army was starting to become more appropriate than calling it Frelian.

“We fight for a free Grado! Long live Duessel! Long live Ephraim!” a soldier chanted. The rest of the soldiers echoed the statement. Ephraim started giving orders, Duessel nodding proudly. Not only was Ephraim now strong enough to control a force like this, he could spot no faults in his reasoning, and he had nothing to interject. Well, besides the boat to their rear, but Ephraim told him there was already a plan for that. Duessel was impressed- the Whitewing imposing on the ship’s crew would be a promising sight indeed.

Or at least, he assumed. He wasn’t entirely clear on what the Whitewing was, only that it was a weapon of Ephraim’s that Grado feared.

* * *

Captain Silver observed the battlefield before him. He could pick out the enemy commanders he needed to shoot- the soldiers, both clad in the red of Grado, would be too much hassle. Besides, their cannon only had so many shots. A few of his sailors loaded up the projectile, and Silver began overlooking the aiming.

“Greetings,” a pirate stated, axing the two sailors before turning to the ship. The sailors drew their axes, and began an approach. The pirate jumped from sailor to sailor, quickly dealing a strike to each before moving on to the next. Silver looked around for an enemy ship. There were none in sight, and the pirate was already on top of him.

“Hello, sir,” the pirate told him, striking with his axes. Silver jumped back, and drew his cutlass, ready to attack. The pirate smiled, and watched Silver’s attacks. Silver started with a lunge, which the pirate deflected with one of his axes. Silver began to cascade forward, and the second axe was quick to vanquish him.

Ross looked around the now abandoned deck. The boat was his now- at least, there would be no one contesting the claim. He would have to throw the corpses overboard and clean up the blood, but that came later. Right now was figuring out how to move the boat. He spun the wheel to the right, and the boat began moving underfoot. Double-checking for an anchor, Ross began to use that movement to try and find his way to a shore where his companions could board.

Or at the very least, one where he could disembark.

* * *

Ephraim rushed into the rear lines, looking for General Selena. Duessel was following him, knowing his aid would be required to convince her to fight under what Ephraim had now dubbed the Grado Liberation Army. Duessel knew it wasn’t going to be winning over everyone, but Duessel assured Ephraim that Selena would be among those who would. Ephraim took a moment to look around for her- she had disappeared.

“General Duessel!” a soldier exclaimed. Ephraim and Duessel turned to him- he was holding up his bow, and looked quite terrified to draw.

“You’d be Beran, wouldn’t you?” Duessel asked. The soldier jumped- he clearly wasn’t expecting to be recognised by Duessel.

“Y-Yes, General Duessel… I’m… I’m going to kill you now… I’m going to make you… pay for your treachery… I’m going to kill you…” Beran stuttered out nervously. Ephraim let out a hearty chuckle, and dropped the Reginleif. He walked up to Beran, making a show of his being disarmed, and pulled Beran off his horse. Beran, not expecting that, began to sink into a kneel. Ephraim’s bark of laughter was heard for miles.

“I’m your enemy, remember? The feared Prince Ephraim of Renais?” Ephraim laughed. Beran nodded nervously, his hand at his sword. It was a rather special sword, able to get the best of lances with ease. Of course, that advantage was lost with Ephraim being disarmed, but it was reassuring.

“Well, let me tell you, boys, that fear is unfounded. I mean, come on! Work camps? Forcing you to fight each other to the death? And you mean to tell me Eirika gets in on this?” Ephraim asked. Duessel jumped in shock. He knew Ephraim had an unsavoury reputation amongst the Grado class, but he had not suspected  _ how _ unsavoury. He began to wonder how Ephraim knew, before remembering the Grado soldiers he came with.

“Soldiers of Grado! I am Duessel the Obsidian. Most of you will know me as a kind-hearted general… so I wouldn’t blame you for being surprised that I taught this prince how to use a lance. Do you think I would have done so if half the rumours are true?” Duessel asked. The soldiers looked amongst themselves, beginning to wonder. Ephraim knew that was the moment to move forward.

“Soldiers of Grado, your Emperor is bewitched! Forces of darkness come from Gormlaithe, and the kind Emperor Vigarde many of you remember has ordered an invasion against the kingdom of Renais. Does this strike none of you as an odd decision? Renais is a peaceful kingdom… some of you might even have had friends from Renais. Why would you attack?” Ephraim asked. One or two soldiers opened their mouths, before immediately closing them.

“But what can we do? We’re just the military- what the Emperor says goes…” Beran stuttered out. Ephraim pointed at Duessel. He gestured beyond him, to where the Grado soldiers that accompanied him were.

“That doesn’t stop them. I do not lead an army for Renais. I do not lead an army for Frelia. My army is the Grado Liberation Army- I fight for a free Grado. I fight for the friendship with Grado that once existed between our nations. But I need men. I sacked Renvall with four men… who knows what I could sack with forty!” Ephraim exclaimed.

“…I fight for a free Grado!” a soldier called out. The call began to ripple across the soldiers, until Beran was left the only one not calling. Ephraim held out his hand, and Beran took one look at it.

“…I fight for a free Grado… sir,” Beran stated, taking it, and shaking it. Ephraim beamed. Sure, there were a few casualties before the encounter.

But he knew that, with effort, he could win Grado’s heart before it came to blows in the future- especially as the Grado soldiers began to far outstrip his own pegasus knight forces.

* * *

 

Ephraim returned to camp with the Grado force in tow, only to immediately jump at the sight before Artur. Tana was lying in rest, nursing her arm. She smiled as Ephraim approached, and didn’t protest when Ephraim sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

“How is she, Artur?” Ephraim asked. Artur held up his divining rod, and focused somewhat.

“…She should be able to make a recovery. I would advise against her fighting for a while, but I don’t see her being unable to ever fight again,” Artur assured him. Ephraim let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s my Tana, all right,” Ephraim laughed. Tana gave a giggle too, looking around. A few of the Grado soldiers were giving her odd looks.

“Ephraim… am I a burden?” Tana asked. Ephraim jumped, shocked.

“How in Magvel could you come to that conclusion?” Ephraim asked.

“…I’m the Whitewing. I’ve slaughtered so many Grado soldiers to get to where I am… and I’m still not good enough to fight Valter. All those deaths, the Grado soldiers you’re recruiting are terrified of me… and what did I accomplish?” Tana asked.

“You saved my life,” Ephraim told her.

“…I saved you, but I couldn’t save-” Tana started.

“Tana, I told you. Drop it. You can never save everyone when it comes to war… and that is why it is hard. That is why we want to put an end to it. That is why I convince the Grado soldiers to lay down their weapons instead of slaughtering them all. Forde and Kyle were not your fault… it was Valter that killed them, not you,” Ephraim told her. Tana pushed her head into Ephraim’s, sobbing a little, as Duessel took a seat beside him. A few Grado soldiers, Finn and Beran chief among them, joined him, as did Lute. Ephraim checked on Tana, before deciding it would be better if she remained.

“Prince Ephraim… you’ve certainly grown from when you were a lad. I remember the days when you’d have had no idea what to do when Eirika was upset,” Duessel remarked.

“The man I am today is in thanks to you, Duessel. So… can you tell me anything about what happened to the Emperor?” Ephraim asked. Duessel looked down, and Ephraim quickly realised what to expect.

“From what you told these men, I expect you already know the gist of what’s been happening. That is largely what I know, too… but I do have one theory. The Emperor’s madness began around the time Prince Lyon and his mages created a strange gemstone… they call it the Dark Stone,” Duessel explained to him.

“The Dark Stone?” Ephraim asked. It seemed an odd choice.

“I’m a soldier. I’m not one for magic. But when Prince Lyon talked about it… he described it as more powerful than the Sacred Stones,” Duessel told him. A shiver went up Ephraim’s spine.

“Myrrh has spoken of the darkness surrounding the Grado Empire… the timing makes sense. Duessel, where is the Dark Stone?” Lute asked.

“Lyon keeps it on his person, and he’ll be in the capital,” Duessel stated.

“Then that’s where we’re going,” Ephraim said confidently. Beran raised his hand, and Ephraim turned to him.

“The capital is tremendously far from here, and there would be much fighting to do in the meanwhile… plus Valter could fly in at any turn… or worse, that witch that came with Riev!” Beran stated. Ephraim nodded thoughtfully, before looking up. Sitting at the port was a new ship.

“The boat!” Ephraim and Duessel exclaimed at once.

* * *

 

Ephraim, Duessel and Lute ran up to the boat, and saw Ross pushing a plank down to disembark. He smirked at the trio.

“I got to the crew and managed to take ‘em out without destroying the boat,” Ross told them. Ephraim nodded, and he knew where this was going.

“Lute, how many people and horses do you reckon could fit on this?” Ephraim asked. Lute hopped on board the boat, and began holding her hands up. She was muttering all sorts of numbers, and even did a quick, though loud, run through the lower decks. She re-emerged, and repeated her first movement.

“…I estimate 150 total,” Lute suggested. Ephraim nodded, beginning his own math in his head.

“From the headcount I calculated, we should have room to spare. Maybe I’d recommend leaving some soldiers behind, but there’s also an ulterior motive in that- we’ve got to spread your legend while we’re gone,” Lute stated. Ephraim sighed in relief- both at the fact and that he didn’t have to worry about the math. He had already felt he made some error.

“Prince Ephraim… I have heard rumours that the seas are unsafe at this time. According to the whispers of the Grado soldiers, there is allegedly a ghost ship at sail,” Duessel reported.

“What is a single ghost ship against a long overland travel with many Grado soldiers to fight?” Ephraim asked in return.

“…You’re correct. If the ghost ship is dangerous, that means we can fight back- and unlike battles against Grado, will not be obligated to hold back in hopes of surrender. Tell the men,” Duessel assured him. Ephraim nodded, and he left to organise the departure.


	15. Refuge in the Mountains

_ Tethys leads Princess Eirika and Prince Innes along the Caer Pelyn Range. Gerik’s Mercenaries are familiar with the area, and more importantly, it is a route to Jehanna that is free from Carcino observation. However, Innes and Seth do not see this as reason to drop their guard… _

* * *

 

The party emerged by an old fort. Tethys found some odd drawings on the ground that were very clearly Ewan’s, but she was cautious about approaching anyway.

“Innes, Seth, what do you think? A good place to rest?” Tethys asked. Innes held his hand up, and everyone stopped moving immediately. Innes’s ears began to pick up noises from all around the place.

“…I can hear them…” Innes remarked. Eirika tuned in to the sound as well. Wyvern wingbeats. A trio of wyverns swooped in from above, landing in front of the group. The front wyvern lowered its head, and its rider leaned forward.

“General Glen… Sunstone of the Grado army…” Seth stated. Eirika nodded, and dismounted, limping slightly as she approached.

“General Glen… I am Princess Eirika of Renais. We’ve met once before, but I’m going to assume that this encounter will play differently,” Eirika explained.

“Correct, milady. I am under orders to… to kill you. Emperor Vigarde sees you as too dangerous to be left alive and captured. And to be honest, when I consider where you’re probably going to end up, I think I’d prefer to kill you,” Glen told her. Eirika chuckled, hearing both Seth and Innes draw their weapons.

“Sunstone Glen… why do you continue to fight under Emperor Vigarde?” Eirika asked. Glen took a moment to consider the question. Truth be told, after what he had seen, he was hard-pressed to answer it.

“…Princess Eirika, I do not wish to kill you, and thus I will refuse to do so. However, with my trust in His Majesty compromised, my next loyalty is to my brother Cormag. I must counsel with him before I make my choice for what road I shall fly. Men, you are free to do as you wish. I intend to return to Eirika once my decision has been made…” Glen explained.

“That easy?” Seth asked.

“You’d rather I put up more of a fight? Princess Eirika looks injured anyway- it is dishonourable to take the life of a woman in such a weakened state. I would hesitate to finish off the Whitewing if I found her in such peril,” Glen told him. Seth nodded, standing down. Glen flew into the distance, and the wyvern knights dismounted. They approached Princess Eirika, and sunk to their knees.

“General Glen trusts you enough to question His Majesty…” the one on the left said.

“We shall also trust you. Break that trust, and we will not take that standing down,” the other continued. Eirika nodded.

“Well then… that went nicer than imagined. So, Innes, will we be taking that rest?” Eirika asked. Innes took a moment to check the surroundings, and nodded.

* * *

Glen began his long flight to Grado, somewhat annoyed at having to do this over and over due to what basically amounted to long-distance bickering between Princess Eirika and Emperor Vigarde. It made him feel less of a general and more of a messenger boy. He remained engrossed in these thoughts, as well as the thoughts of what he was to do once he had established what was going on with Emperor Vigarde, when he finally noticed that Valter was in front of him- Cormag’s wyvern had been trying to warn him for a while.

“Well well well… Sunstone Glen. I’ve been watching you… I know that you met Princess Eirika, and she did not come out of that conversation dead,” Valter told him. Glen realised with a start that Valter would know where to look for her if she had decided to rest.

“Valter. Well, looks like we got what we wanted after all… and at last, I’m under no obligation to let you walk free. I have decided. The Emperor has gone too far in forgiving you for your transgressions. I will make you pay for what you did to Maisie!” Glen roared, drawing his lance.

“Heh… I was hoping to learn where Eirika went… but I suppose I could always have Genarog do it,” Valter told him. Glen chuckled, lunging.

“Joke’s on you- Genarog’s not here,” Glen laughed out loud. Valter drew a sword, and swung haphazardly. Glen rolled his eyes.

“You’ve never trained in the sword! How do you expect you’ll beat me?” Glen asked. Valter’s second strike pushed right into the side of his armour, and Glen found himself grabbing his wyvern’s reins. The third stroke plunged into Glen’s head, killing him. Valter added a few more blows, before pulling Glen onto his wyvern’s back.

“Shoo,” Valter told the wyvern Glen rode.

* * *

“Hm… where’s Rennac when you need him?” L’Arachel asked, looking around. She was near the hidden village of Caer Pelyn, looking around for her target. A Caer Pelyn ‘prophet’ told her that ‘to find what you seek, you must wait for it to move’- what useless advice. Figures- Caer Pelyn worshipped some ‘Great Dragon’, not the great Eizariya.

“L’Arachel? Do you feel that?” Dozla asked. L’Arachel closed her eyes, and began to tune in to the whispers of Latona. She sensed the presence of monsters in the area. And something more, too…

“Hm. Monsters. They will be no match for the beautiful princess of peerless beauty. Dozla, ready your axe- we will protect this village so they will learn to respect the beautiful banisher of darkness!” L’Arachel called.

“Gwah hah hah! Right on, Lady L’Arachel! Those beasts will never know what hit ‘em!” Dozla cried out, raising his axe in triumph.

* * *

Tethys continued to lead the walk up the mountain. It was slow going for the infantry, but the cavalry was even more disadvantaged. Seth and Neimi had both considered abandoning their horses, but the need for them come later battles convinced them to persist- not even the knowledge that they would be fighting in desert sand come Jehanna was enough to sway them. The pegasus knights and the two wyverns Glen had left had an easy time moving, but the ascent was still exhausting for them. Tethys told them about a clearing, and Eirika called for the rest immediately. She stepped into the clearing first, and looked across.

Sat in the centre of the clearing was an odd man. He was seated with his legs crossed in a very uncomfortable-looking position, and his hands sat folded in his lap. His eyes were closed, and he seemed as if in prayer. Strangely, Eirika felt she recognised him.

“Do you know him?” Eirika asked. Tethys took a moment to peer at him.

“I think that’s Saleh. I’ve only met him once, but that certainly matches what Ewan’s told me about him,” Tethys told her. Gerik took a moment to confirm Tethys’s claim, before Eirika approached him. She sat down on her knees in front of him, and waited for him to open his eyes.

“…Nada Kuya?” Saleh asked finally. Eirika looked behind her- everyone was up.

“Who?” Eirika asked in confusion. Saleh blinked a couple of times, before peering more closely.

“…Forgive me. It was a foolish mistake to make. So from where do you come?” Saleh asked, looking across the group.

“My name is Eirika. Princess Eirika of Renais. I am travelling with Prince Innes of Frelia and a retinue of mercenaries and warriors to the kingdom of Jehanna, and from there Rausten. A terrible fate befalls Magvel if our journey is not completed. May we see safe passage through your kind home?” Eirika asked. Saleh took another moment to measure up the group around them.

“A terrible fate, you say? Grandmother has mentioned something to that effect… Caer Pelyn does not refuse travellers. Take a moment to rest, and I’ll take you back once you’re done,” Saleh assured them, looking back briefly.

“Wait a moment… what’s your angle, Saleh?” Innes asked, drawing his bow.

“Innes?” Eirika asked in confusion. Saleh, too, looked confused, turning back to his village before his eyes dawned with comprehension.

“You refer to the other travellers Caer Pelyn has encountered recently? You are sharp… they pose no threat to you unless you step too close to the large one. Their bragging, on the other hand… there’s a reason I’m out here doing Valega,” Saleh told them. Innes gave a sympathetic wince, before accepting his story. He went to put away his arrow, only to quickly pull it back to full draw again, pointing in Saleh’s direction. Saleh made to protest, but the arrow was let fly, passing by Saleh harmlessly and piercing the massive spider behind him. This one was black and lined with grey markings. Saleh approached the beast cautiously.

“Atracinae Baels… the situation is indeed grim. You will all be exhausted, and there will be more monsters between here and Caer Pelyn…” Saleh muttered.

“The other travellers!” Eirika exclaimed. Saleh shook his head.

“The woman is no fighter, no matter how she expounds otherwise. And the man puts power over the technique required for extended encounters presented here… no, it will be us who are expected to rescue them,” Saleh told them. Eirika requested a drawing of the area, to begin her tactical analysis.

* * *

Dozla growled- his axe was beginning to wear against the revenants and bonewalkers he was slaying. L’Arachel was giving the gargoyles around her a few solid whacks with her staff, but even she wasn’t deluded enough to think it was helping any.

“Got any ideas, Dozla?” L’Arachel asked.

“None, my noble princess,” Dozla growled. L’Arachel bowed her head.

“Then I guess it shall be my destiny to fall in battle as my parents did. How Latona’s sacred bloodline has fallen…” L’Arachel moaned.

“Don’t count on it, sweetie,” an eerie voice cackled. L’Arachel looked around, and spotted the speaker almost immediately. She was a woman flying overhead on the back of a broomstick, wearing a quaint robe and a wide-brimmed hat.

“Who are you to call me sweetie? I am the beautiful princess of peerless beauty, the devoted slayer of monsters, Latona’s divine descendant, Princess L’Arachel!” L’Arachel called. The woman shrugged.

“I am Delphine. See how easy it was to not use all those titles? And it’s my choice that you not be defeated by these monsters- besides, I need them elsewhere. Move along,” Delphine called, waving her wand. The gargoyles around L’Arachel and the approaching waves of monsters stopped advancing, and began retreating.

“I knew it. You’re no match for me,” L’Arachel boasted.

“Strong words for someone who just gave up. Besides, they’re going for prey that might actually put up a fight were they not exhausted to the bone. Golly, when I get my own place to rule, I’ll make it as mountainous as this… but that’s later. You won’t be seeing that later… I have a more threatening foe,” Delphine giggled, waving her wand again. Two humanoid figures appeared before her- a man with a rugged jaw marked even further by his tight-fitting skin, and a woman who obviously tried to steal L’Arachel’s beauty, but suffered the same problem of looking starved and gaunt.

“Wait a moment…” Dozla muttered, looking between the two. L’Arachel, too, reconsidered them.

“…That’s low. Dozla, stand back- Mum, Dad, prepare to be smote!” L’Arachel cried out without any of her gusto. It was for this reason that Dozla heeded L’Arachel’s command.

_ “Aura of the great Latona, guide my hand!” _

* * *

Innes groaned softly to himself- he was borrowing arrows from Neimi’s reserves trying to dispatch the monsters ahead, but they just seemed to multiply. Everyone else made a half-hearted advance, but most were too exhausted to fight once they arrived. Even Innes was getting light-headed, although he could not afford to doze off- the pegasus and wyvern knights were in the skies, and a lapse of concentration invited disaster for them. He had to assess each target, making sure it was not one of his own, before firing.

With all that in mind, Innes was still annoyed by the familiar figure of Delphine appearing above him, cackling madly and avoiding Innes’s shots in what had to be cheating.

“D’aww… it’s so cute when you think you have a chance. I’m gonna beat you!” Delphine cried out. She waved her wand about, and fired a blast at Innes. Innes, who was firing another shot, couldn’t manage to dodge, and felt something boil over him. He raised his bow at Eirika, and fired. Seth’s reflexes, honed throughout his service, blocked the arrow at the last second, deflecting it with his shield and preventing Eirika from coming to any further harm. Innes fired a second arrow, which cut across Seth’s cheek. A third arrow flew, piercing right into the heart of Sami.

“Oh no you don’t…” Neimi muttered. As Innes prepared a fourth arrow, Neimi fired her own. Her arrow sung through the air, passing through Innes’s drawstring and destroying the bow. Innes growled, and drew a sword. Neimi looked up, and saw Delphine’s next spell coming down.

“Colm, my bow!” Neimi called out. Colm took the bow right out of her hands, just as Neimi got struck by the blast. Neimi drew her own sword, and approached Colm. Colm tossed the bow aside to one of Neimi’s girls, and pushed against Neimi, pinning her to the ground.

“This…” Eirika started, struggling to figure out how to proceed.

“This is much easier than what I had been informed. But just in case…” Delphine muttered, firing a blast at Eirika. Seth took a moment to consider jumping in the way, reasoning that what he’d do if he went the way of Innes and Neimi wouldn’t be worth the one victory, when Eirika had a different affliction: she disappeared.

“Eirika!” Seth cried out, before Innes swung his sword at him. Seth growled, and began duelling the wayward prince, their respective handicaps preventing either from doing any damage.

“Hm… what else?” Delphine asked, giggling. She turned and noticed Moulder, who was readying a Restore staff.

“Oh no you don’t,” Delphine muttered, preparing a blast. Something pulled at the corner of her mind, preventing the fire.

“Later,” she told herself. The pull happened again, stronger this time.

“I said later! I’m almost there…” Delphine repeated, waving her wand and completely flubbing the shot thanks to the pull.

“…All right, fine!” Delphine called out, vanishing angrily.

* * *

Eirika looked around, a little confused and quite worried on where she had ended up. She looked around, and noticed an odd-looking, yet familiar, woman moving against a pair of what seemed to straddle the line between human and monster. A strong-looking axeman, vaguely familiar, was remaining back, wary of interfering- but the woman looked out of her league in her fight.

“Need a hand?” Eirika asked, drawing her rapier. The two monster figures turned to her, what was unmistakably bloodlust in their eyes.

“I have it covered.  _ Aura of the great Latona, guide my hand! _ ” the woman called. Absolutely nothing happened, and the creatures continued to approach Eirika. One, the male-looking one, approached cautiously, a small sword at the ready. Eirika’s rapier easily outranged it, and her stab pierced its horse easily. The horse dropped to the ground, and Eirika turned to the woman. Her hand was outreached and her mouth was opening, but no words were coming out.

“…What’s going on…?” Eirika asked, looking between the three ‘combatants’.

“I don’t know. I’m positive those are my parents summoned using foul demon magic to do the very thing they swore never to do, but they haven’t been able to cast a single spell. Then again, nor can I, but they don’t even say their incantations!” the woman exclaimed. Eirika jumped slightly, recognising that bluster.

“…L’Arachel?” Eirika asked.

“So you have decided to take the overland route after all? I heard about Kiris…” L’Arachel stated.

“Well, it is kind of important I get to Rausten, so of course I’m going to choose overland between that and turning tail,” Eirika told her. L’Arachel chuckled.

“You truly are an odd one,” L’Arachel told her, before hesitating.

“Eirika. Princess Eirika. And trust me, you seem a lot odder,” Eirika told her, knowing she could trust her- or at the very least, know that anyone who listened to her blab wouldn’t believe her.

“Anyway, you wish to reach Rausten? And yet your companions are all gone!” L’Arachel observed. Eirika giggled nervously.

“I got teleported away from them… they were en route to Caer Pelyn, but I’m not sure where that puts us,” Eirika told her.

“Caer Pelyn? Sounds like the garbled tongue that those weird cultists were spewing out, remember, Dozla?” L’Arachel asked.

“Gwah ha ha! Right, Lady L’Arachel! They didn’t even know a thing about Eizariya, and they didn’t seem to care about the great Latona!” Dozla called out. Eirika smiled nervously, having a reasonable guess as to who these two had actually encountered.

“We intend to emerge in Hamill Canyon to get to Jehanna. Maybe that would be a better reconvergence point?” Eirika asked. L’Arachel jumped.

“Hamill? But Grado and Carcino are scheming a great trap to spring there… wait, that must be for you! Your friends will be killed! Follow me- I know a way we can save them!” L’Arachel exclaimed, sounding rather excited for the peril she was talking about.

“…But what about my friends? I’ve got to tell them I’m OK…” Eirika told them.

“Eirika, you have no idea how close they are, and if you re-join them, you’ll just be emerging into the trap they’ll be going into. And that’s a big ‘if’ on the re-joining. It’d be best if you followed me,” L’Arachel told her. Eirika looked over her shoulder, the thoughts of Innes and Seth crossing her mind. She turned back to L’Arachel, and nodded.

“Excellent! Then onwards, to victory!” L’Arachel exclaimed triumphantly, starting the march.

“Gwah ha ha! Good idea, Lady L’Arachel!” Dozla called. Eirika shrugged, and followed.

* * *

With Delphine gone and Moulder having cleared everyone’s heads, the party’s advance towards Caer Pelyn was made much easier. It was not free from encounters with monsters, but after facing Delphine, they were much less terrifying, and easily dispatched. The group remained on guard upon arriving in Caer Pelyn, but when an elderly lady walked up and Saleh switched to a deferent bow, Innes realised that the place would be safe.

“Saleh? Do you bring tidings about the Great Dragon?” the woman asked.

“I regret to say that I do not, Grandmother,” Saleh responded. The woman sighed, before turning to Innes.

“And who might you be?” the woman asked. Innes took a good look at the lady. Though she was elderly on the outside, her eyes suggested anything but: this was not a woman to cross. Innes respected what he saw.

“I am Prince Innes of Frelia. I do not request anything other than passage on my journey to Jehanna, though if you have information on the whereabouts of Princess Eirika, that would be appreciated,” Innes told her firmly. The woman took her time observing what she saw.

“Very well, Innes. Your party looks famished, so we will offer accommodation and rock moss for you before you press on your quest. However, I will impose one condition- Caer Pelyn is a place of refuge, a place to honour the Great Dragon who protected us all in the era of the Heroes, and continues to do so without reward. While you are in this village, prince and pauper are considered equals. Will you have a problem with our way of life?” the grandmother asked. Innes smirked- he saw what she was doing to support her side.

“I assure you, Elder, we will support that,” Innes told her. The woman burst into a great smile.

“Please, dear, call me Grandmother,” she said.

* * *

Innes, Seth and Neimi followed Saleh and the Grandmother to her home, where they expected to have much to discuss. As they entered the room, they were not surprised to see the rather minimalistic nature of the place- the walls were decorated with beautiful etchings into the walls themselves, and there was an absolute minimum of furniture. The Grandmother and Saleh sat around a mat, and the three resigned themselves to joining them in the position. Seth and Neimi took a few minutes to get accustomed to their position, before switching to more comfortable techniques. Innes was fine as is.

“So, about this ‘Great Dragon’…” Neimi asked.

“Ah, to hear the inquisitiveness of youth… the Great Dragon is a blessing, a watcher over all mankind. In the days of the Demon King, for instance-” Grandmother started, before Innes looked up.

“You mean along with the Five Heroes? He was there when Marin, Sivard, Dethyl, Emrys, and Latona defeated the Demon King?” Innes asked. The Grandmother hissed slightly.

“You honestly believe it was they who bore the brunt of the effort? The ones who collectively handled the Demon King on their own? That is a great disservice to even Nada Kuya, a warrior with more strength than that Emrys fellow, let alone the Great Dragon that allowed them to stand a chance at all!” Grandmother let out.

“Grandmother!” Saleh exclaimed somewhat instinctively. Innes simply tilted his head.

“I understand… but what of the monsters that appear today? That demon girl Ephraim found mentioned something about a shadowy miasma appearing over Grado…” Innes told them. The Grandmother’s knuckles whitened and her jaw clenched, but Saleh held up a hand.

“The ‘demon girl’ you speak of is likely none other than the Great Dragon, protector of us all. Speaking ill of her in Caer Pelyn is  _ strongly _ discouraged. But your observation was correct- the dark energies in Grado are related to the monster outbreaks. The Great Dragon went to investigate, but there’s been no sign of her… where is she now?” Saleh asked in his Grandmother’s place.

“We left her at Frelia. Ephraim thought she’d be safest there,” Innes told him.

“Grandmother, I’m off,” Saleh stated, walking past with a sweep of his cape. Everyone watched him go in shock.

“Well… I suppose you’ll be on your way fairly quickly…” the Grandmother said meekly.

“Of course, Grandmother. I need to find Eirika…” Seth stated.

“Seth is as devoted to her as you are to the Great Dragon,” Neimi explained, to Seth’s bemusement.

“Very well. Just don’t make embarrassments of yourselves,” the Grandmother told them, shooing them out of her house. It was clear Innes had touched a nerve.


	16. Demons on the Deep

_ According to General Duessel, the source of the miasma of darkness surrounding Grado’s Royal Family is an enigmatic creation of Prince Lyon’s, a Dark Stone. Its power is claimed to surpass that of the Sacred Stones- and the timing of it being the cause of Vigarde’s madness makes sense. Ephraim must confirm the existence of the Dark Stone- and confront Vigarde while he’s at it. Ephraim chooses to travel to Grado by sea, regardless of the rumours of a ghost ship. _

* * *

 

Selena approached Emperor Vigarde hesitantly. She knew she had abandoned her post- but that was on the Emperor’s bidding. So why did she feel so nervous? Emperor Vigarde’s imposing expression certainly didn’t help, nor did the presence of the witch Delphine.

“Your Majesty… I have returned,” Selena stated.

“Yes, yes, I see that. You have returned without Duessel’s head. The traitor has joined Ephraim, along with the entirety of the Grado force you were joined by,” Vigarde scolded.

“Forgive me… it was on Valter’s say so that I abandoned the position. I believed you saw me unfit for the role…” Selena stuttered out. Lyon looked down, clearly in some thought.

“Your Highness Prince Lyon, I assure you I am your vassal! I am your father His Majesty’s vassal! Please, give me one more chance to prove myself! I beg of you!” Selena begged. Lyon tilted his head, giving her a thorough examination.

“…You know, General Selena… that’s something I’ve heard a lot recently. This war has brought about some interesting sides in the people I thought I once knew. Duessel was much like you… and then he joined that Prince Ephraim. Son of Sivard through and through… then again, they both are. Him and Eirika. I… urgh!” Lyon began to explain, before dropping in confusion.

“Master!” Delphine cried out. Lyon slowly got to his feet, looking around in confusion. It didn’t take long to return to his original face, but he looked quite annoyed.

“Do not concern yourself, Delphine. It’ll pass with time,” Lyon assured her. Selena was left looking between the two, and Emperor Vigarde- who was standing in a menacing pose without moving. Not even to blink.

“What’s going…” Selena muttered out. Lyon jumped slightly.

“Oh, right, you… Selena, you, Duessel and Glen are no longer deemed safe for the rise of the new era. Glen will be murdered by either Eirika or Valter, and Duessel is too close to Ephraim to reliably touch… but rest assured we will crush him sooner or later. Right now, they are at sea, with a ghost ship of Delphine’s creation on the way to sinking them. As for you… I think it’d be for the best if we made an example of what to fear. After all, we can’t have  _ all _ of our army following Ephraim Sivardson. It’s too Grado as is. Delphine… show her what we do to oath-breakers,” Lyon snarled. The tone, now that Selena caught a bit of it, was very much not like the Lyon she remembered.

“Ephraim will beat you, you know. You can’t hide behind fear forever,” Selena told whatever it was that was pretending to be Lyon defiantly. Delphine’s spell surrounded her feet in a black circle, and she quickly found herself losing control of her body. She made sure her last act was a death glare against the traitor.

“Delphine, move Selena’s remains to the courtyard. I will address the men and explain its significance. You will then proceed to the waters, and check on the ghost ship,” Vigarde boomed. Delphine clucked.

“Master, you know I’m not bidden to obey this Servant like Riev is. It’s rude to show off you can make it talk,” Delphine told him, casting a spell to lift up Selena’s remains. Lyon smirked.

“Looks like I touched a nerve…” Lyon chuckled, before disappearing.

* * *

Franz looked across the waters, the memories of facing his father and Forde in Fort Rigwald still lingering at the corners of his mind. What concerned him much more than the fight itself was the fact that the woman who summoned them could. And knew how it would affect him.

“So you’re the young knight who fought alongside Ephraim to save me… you have courage, youngster,” Duessel remarked, approaching him. Franz jumped, and turned to him. Duessel was smiling…

“Thank you, sir…” Franz chuckled nervously. Duessel gave Franz a hearty thump on the back.

“No thanks necessary. It’s you who saved me,” Duessel told him. Franz gave a nervous chuckle.

“…You’re scared of me, aren’t you?” Duessel asked.

“A little…” Franz told him. Duessel placed his arm on Franz’s shoulder, wondering where to begin comforting him.

“Boy, I’ve fought in battles since before you were born. I trained your Prince in the lance. And I was once a commander of the force you fought. Perhaps you’re right to be a little nervous. But there’s more to me than weapons… I just can’t think of what right now,” Duessel told him. Franz chuckled, feeling the warmth emanating from him.

“Boy, what would you do for Renais?” Duessel asked. Franz jumped at the question.

“Well… I guess I want to fight for my king and queen. Before this war, that was Fado. During it, I’m going to say it’s Eirika and Ephraim. Afterwards, though…” Franz told him.

“I cannot say who will rule your country once this war is over… though I will ask why you ‘guess’ you want to fight for them,” Duessel told him. Franz nodded.

“I’ll be honest… I barely even know them. I’m told Princess Eirika is a kind soul, and I’ve certainly seen that… but she was always involved in tactics and straying apart with Tana between battles. As for Ephraim… I can tell he’s been trying, but once we started getting Grado soldiers, he stopped. Don’t blame him, but I don’t really have a measure on what he’s supposed to be. My role model is my brother Forde. He… he was always lazy off the battlefield, but when the time came to draw his sword, he was as fearless as Ephraim. I feel like when he’s not fighting, he acts ‘lazy’ to give his comrades a reason to smile,” Franz told him. Duessel nodded.

“Where is your brother?” Duessel asked.

“Dead. He was killed when Ephraim besieged Rigwald. When they came out of the castle-” Franz started, but Duessel finished.

“Orson knocked Ephraim out, and Valter’s ambush forces killed both him and the other cavalier. I’m sorry to hear that one of them was your brother,” Duessel remarked.

“It’s all right, I guess… he died fighting. Certainly not a bad way to go…” Franz stated.

“…You know, boy… I had a friend once. He was a fearless wyvern knight. The lad had a bit of an unnerving background involving a quarrel with Frelia, but when I saw his eagerness to learn under mine and Glen’s tutelage, Emperor Vigarde agreed to let us help him grow. And then, one day… he made a grave mistake. That friend is dead now. And not a day goes by where I don’t question whether that was my doing… was I teaching him properly? I may never know if I could have prevented that accident… but I do know one thing. You have something he’ll never have. You have that will to continue to fight for what you believe in. …You’ll do well, boy,” Duessel told him. Franz smiled.

“…My name’s Franz,” Franz told him, holding out his hand. Duessel smiled as he took it.

“Nice to meet you, Franz. Never lose that will, all right?” Duessel told him. Franz nodded.

* * *

Finn walked up to Ross uncertainly. With directions from Lute, he was steering the ship, and he was certainly doing it well. Finn was uncertainly thinking about how he was going to bring up the subject.

“What is it, Finn?” Ross asked after a while. Finn jumped.

“Ross… it’s about Amelia. I can tell she’s still a little scared about being in this army. I’ve been helping her, and Ephraim calling it the Grado Liberation Army helps a tad… but she’s still wet behind the ears. I’m thinking… you’re her age. You can help her out,” Finn told him. Ross nodded.

“Aye, she’s a sweet one, all right. But she scarpers easily. I might be her age, but one look at these muscles and she finds some reason to move on. And it won’t be easy to do during this voyage,” Ross explained to him.

“…You’re right. I know it’s a bit selfish of me... but do you  _ want _ to help?” Finn asked. Ross consulted his compass, checking with Lute on his direction.

“Of course I do. She reminds me a little of me, and surely help from one of the scariest men in the army would set her a lot more at ease if I show her that,” Ross told him. Finn nodded, looking ahead at the ship’s bow. Ephraim and Tana were standing there, looking ahead across the water.

“…I really want her to have a life ahead of her,” Finn idly remarked.

* * *

Ephraim and Tana, meanwhile were watching the ocean rather vaguely. It was the first time at sea for both, and they were both just marvelling at the sight. The pair also had problems making small talk to each other at the moment, which probably forestalled anything other than staring into the ocean.

“Ephraim…” Tana finally stated, but it was not out of a desire to talk. Both Ephraim and Tana had spotted a localised fog- and it was beginning to expand out.

“Ross, can we steer clear?” Ephraim called to the stern. Ross began turning the wheel, while Lute shot a wind spell at the fog, careful to avoid the sail. It didn’t make a dent in the mist. However, a large shape was appearing in the fog. A massive boat- its deck was close in level to their own, but the boat was wider, and its silhouette had about a dozen sinister trappings. Its crew was massive, but none of them looked human. A sinister cackle sounded overhead.

“Who goes there?” Lute asked. The silhouette of Delphine appeared overhead- she was riding on the back of what appeared to be a common broomstick.

“How nice of you to invite yourself to your doom, Prince Ephraim,” Delphine’s cackle carried down.

“Oy, Delphine, where’s the kid? I’m ready to smash!” another voice yelled. The voice, while it sounded vaguely deep, remained fairly feminine.

“Of course you are. Ephraim, meet the legendary Blackwing!” Delphine’s voice yelled.

“Arr! Avast ye scurvy landlubbers!” the other voice called again. Possibly. Ephraim and Tana looked between each other.

“Oh, that’s a sick voice you’ve got, Blackwing! Now sink ‘em!” Delphine called, disappearing as suddenly as she appeared. A cannonblast sounded, sending up a torrent of water beside them.

“Throw down the anchor! Man the cannons! Prepare the boarding planks! Prepare for her to spring leaks! Grab your weapons! Whitewing, distract the Blackwing!” Ross barked across the ship hurriedly, scooping up his axes as he ran below decks. Tana whistled, and Achaeus flew up beside her.

“Tana, does your arm feel OK?” Ephraim asked. Tana swung her sword.

“Feels like it,” Tana told him.

“…Then give Blackwing what for!” Ephraim told her. Tana giggled, and mounted her pegasus, soaring into the skies.

* * *

Ephraim watched Blackwing’s boat approach. With the sight of the wyvern rider- undoubtedly Blackwing- flown away, the ship was sailing in an awkward fashion. The cannon fire was not nearly as accurate as the first shot, while their own shots struck true. The enemy boat sailed beside them, and Franz and Duessel threw forward hooks to hold the boat in place while Beran and some other Grado soldiers threw down the boarding planks. Revenants and bonewalkers began slowly shambling across them, sometimes missing the mark and falling into the waters.

“Something’s wrong… this is too easy…” Ephraim commented. As he did so, a loud crash sounded, and the decks began heaving in a bit more of a pronounced manner than usual.

“That’s… men, if you’re not ‘guarding’ the border planks, check the rest of the ship’s sides! We’ve got to find and stop whatever’s destroying the boat!” Ephraim ordered. The men nodded, while the pegasus knights began soaring. Ephraim turned to the direction in which Tana flew. If he squinted, he could vaguely pick out Tana and the Blackwing.

Despite how quickly this situation turned bad, he was still more worried about her.

* * *

Tana darted back, giving herself and the Blackwing some room to breathe. The Blackwing was exactly as expected- broad-shouldered, face dominated by a massive beard and an eye-patch, and his left hand ending in a hook. His right held one massive battle axe, and the fact it was swinging around in a menacing arc despite the one hand gave Tana pause. Her own sword was rather small… but her favoured strategy had a purpose.

The Blackwing opened with a menacing overhead swipe, which Tana dived down to avoid. The axe continued on its path, sending the wyvern’s head down, and Tana shot down from above to stab Blackwing in the back. Blackwing lurched forth, but held onto his wyvern. He swung his axe across, which Tana quickly pulled out her blade to parry. She checked her blade, and saw not blood, but a steaming green sludge. Tana took a moment to consider the thought, before the Blackwing righted himself, and swung a heavy sidestrike. Tana dived down again, and the Blackwing raised his axe overhead to do a wicked stroke above. Tana, meanwhile, shot up from underneath, and lunged her blade into the wyvern’s stomach. The wyvern let out a loud screech, and began to fall. Tana smirked, until the Blackwing landed on Achaeus’s back behind her. The Blackwing’s hook went to her throat, and Tana abandoned her sword to put both hands on the hook, keeping the wicked point away from it.

She heard a whistle. She smiled slightly, acknowledging Ephraim, but she was currently unable to do anything about it. Achaeus shuddered underneath her, and Tana quickly grabbed a hold of the reins with her left hand, keeping her right hand pushing on the hook. The gleaming point came closer to her throat, but if what she suspected was true, that wouldn’t be for long. Sure enough, Achaeus spun around to fly upside down- the Blackwing found himself dislodged and dangling by his left hand. Tana let go of the hook, and the Blackwing fell into the ocean. Achaeus righted herself, and Tana checked her javelins. She still had enough to reinforce Ephraim if needed, but she knew finding another sword for her would be a ‘when-back-on-land’ concern.

* * *

Cormag looked across the side of the boat. Gargoyles and mogalls were slinging lances and blasts respectively at the side of the timber, creating large holes. The pegasus knights were fighting them off, but for every one that fell, two more seemed to appear out of nowhere and replace them. He looked over at Tana- she seemed to have gotten the drop on Blackwing, at any rate.

“Prince Ephraim!” Cormag called. Ephraim looked up, lancing a gargoyle swooping in behind him casually.

“What’s the matter?” Ephraim asked.

“We’re going to have to abandon our plan to sail to Grado. We should be near Taizel- we’ve got no choice but to land there,” Cormag told him.

“But how? Neither boat will be in good condition to move!” Ephraim told him. Cormag looked up at the ghost ship. The monsters looked pretty penned in over there.

“Keep Duessel and Franz on the planks, but withdraw everyone else. We’ll need to sink a boat,” Cormag suggested. Ephraim nodded, and sounded the order. Cormag, meanwhile, created a small hole in the deck.

“Lute?” Cormag called down. Lute ran underneath the hole, and looked up.

“What is it, Cormag?” Lute asked.

“Can you come above decks? We need to burn their boat!” Cormag suggested.

“Their boat? Ours is the one in shambles…” Lute pointed out. Cormag and Ephraim looked at their boat thoughtfully.

“Do you want to risk it?” Ephraim asked. Lute took a look around her. There were more leaks than men to cover them, and the water was starting to level out.

“We’ll give it a shot,” Lute told him.

Ephraim called the order, and Franz backed up. The monsters were bidden forth, and the army began a panicked, yet co-ordinated, shift around Duessel’s side. Lute, Ross and the other soldiers doing below-deck patching subtly added themselves to the crowd, while Cormag and the pegasus knights remained on the old ship to provoke the gargoyles and mogalls to continue their attack on the ‘enemy’ ship.

“Ready, Lute?” Artur asked. Lute nodded.

_ “In this situation to come, this class will not do. Promote my ability from that of Mage to that of Sage!”  _ Artur casted. A familiar thunderbolt struck Lute, and she dropped to the ground, growling somewhat. Cormag turned to her, and quickly moved her to the other boat. Lute growled, hissing and sparking like a miniature thunderstorm. The pegasus knights evacuated, and the monsters left around her took a moment to wonder why, as Lute exploded. Fire, wind and thunder were sent cascading around her in a colourful display, setting the boat alight and running lightning down the flying monsters, while disrupting their flight with strong gusts of wind. The Grado soldiers knocked the planks overboard, while Cormag pulled Lute off their old boat and back onto what once was the Ghost Ship. Their ship trembled and sunk, along with the monsters plaguing it.

“That’ll be an impressive shipwreck…” Duessel commented.

“Ross, to Taizel. Delphine will recognise this boat isn’t under her control eventually, and all this will be for naught if the ship vanishes while we’re out at sea!” Ephraim ordered. Ross nodded, and ran to the helm of the ghost ship.

The plan to assault Grado from the sea failed, but they would not die trying.

* * *

Ewan looked around the port at Taizel. A rather large Grado force, led by an intimidating looking man, was lying in wait for some boat- Ewan could somewhat see it off the coast. It was certainly terrifying, but Ewan had other business. He was looking for a certain mercenary.

*Bump*

Ewan bounced off a sinister-looking man standing ready, staring at the ship with cold eyes. He turned to Ewan, startled slightly.

“Sorry, Mister… have you seen a mercenary named Marisa?” Ewan asked. The sinister man gave a thoughtful stare.

“…Sorry, Mister,” Ewan told him, scurrying away. Caellach shrugged, and returned to his vigil. Ephraim was so close…

“Heh heh heh… how interesting to see you here, Caellach,” another sinister voice chuckled. Caellach smirked as Riev appeared beside him, also considering the boat approaching the docks.

“You think to belittle me for abandoning Jehanna, don’t you? Well, Blood Beryl, I’ll have you know the worms of mistrust and confusion I have been sowing require time to prepare. I thought a nice game of Ephraim-hunting might help distract me from boredom,” Caellach told the bishop. Riev chuckled.

“Eirika makes her way to Jehanna as we speak. I would not count on your plan remaining in place for much longer,” Riev told him. Caellach jumped.

“You’re serious? Glen didn’t… wait, Valter! Those damn wyverns…” Caellach muttered.

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it was, hm? So long as the mistake gets fixed…” Riev pointed out. Caellach turned to the ship, grumbling slightly.

“Don’t worry, Caellach… I have the perfect weapon for dealing with Ephraim. Delphine!” Riev called. A pause.

“Delphine!” Riev called again. Caellach looked around as well, ready to mock Riev.

“Delphine, come here at once!” Riev bellowed.

“WHAT?” a woman yelled in front of them. Her short robe, broomstick and hat made her instantly recognisable to Caellach, who had never met her.

“Delphine, that is no tone to take with your commander!” Riev yelled.

“Riev, I almost had Eirika’s force completely dismantled. You let me remain for a few seconds longer, and their healer would’ve been Silenced and Prince Innes would’ve torn them apart by the root,” Delphine snarled.

“Have you forgotten our duty?” Riev asked.

“Which one, the one we tell people or the one we don’t? Because I’m fairly sure nipping Eirika in the bud helps both,” Delphine growled.

“…So, are you just going to argue until Ephraim gets here, or what? Because I’ve apparently got someplace to be, and you two really don’t have the most pleasant of voices to be stuck listening argue,” Caellach muttered. Delphine tossed her head disdainfully.

“Fine. But what comes next is on your head, Riev…” Delphine snarled. She waved her wand, and summoned a small force of monsters. She created a cavalier to stand on watch defending the port, before twirling her wand overhead. The boat Ephraim was sailing on disappeared under their feet, sending the men plummeting into the ocean close to port. Delphine disappeared, and Caellach was left speechless.

“Tch. Showoff,” Riev muttered, also disappearing. Caellach sighed- he would have to ride to Jehanna.

* * *

Tana, Cormag, and the other flying mounts were lucky to make their escape from the sudden drop. Of course, they had made sure to remain by their mounts in fear of exactly this, but the suddenness of the moment would always be a concern. The soldiers of the sky immediately set to work- they scooped up the horse-riders first, dumping them on a dock that seemed far away from monster infestation. Tana was quick to grab Ephraim, to allow him to start doing his charismatic business and help keep everyone safe. Cormag also took care to take Lute (and Artur by extension), who was still exhausted from her explosion. Ross was quickly adapting and helping bring the remaining infantry together such that the pegasus and wyvern knights could care for them.

“Ephraim, that was a close one,” Tana muttered, watching the last of the soldiers make it to the docks. The familiar Grado colour helped stop the Grado soldiers stationed from attacking them, though the cavalry had to resort to fending off monsters on foot.

“Too much further from port and we’d have been down a lot more soldiers… as it is, I don’t believe we managed a clean rescue,” Duessel commented. Tana looked around at the wet Grado soldiers. They all seemed OK, but the horses were the greater concern. And, as Tana quickly became aware, their supplies.

“We’ll have to do a lot of restocking here, though,” Ephraim observed, pointing out the thought in Tana’s mind.

* * *

“Marisa! Hey, Marisa!” Ewan called out. Marisa looked up from her conversation with a pair of Grado soldiers somewhat apprehensive about harbouring Ephraim. Most of their comrades were working on drying them off and checking their weapons, or in some cases fighting off Delphine’s monsters.

“Ewan?” Marisa asked simply, turning completely away from the conversation.

“Marisa, there was a mix-up at the guild. Someone was a tad careless in marking their paperwork and signed you up for the wrong army in the Grado confrontation- Gerik’s Mercenaries were commissioned by Prince Innes,” Ewan told her excitedly.

“Innes…” Marisa stated, looking around. Prince Innes was, last she heard, in the mountains of Caer Pelyn, heading towards her home of Jehanna. Then what was she doing in Grado?

“I’m on my way, Gerik,” Marisa stated, beginning to move out.

“Hold on, Marisa! You can’t just march over to him right away!” Ewan pointed out, giggling under his breath.

“…I am an accomplished swordswoman, am I not?” Marisa asked.

“Marisa, there were so many Grado soldiers wandering about on my way. They’re not going to take too kindly to someone deserting their cause,” Ewan pointed out.

“…Then I shall cut them down. That is my job, is it not?” Marisa told him. Ewan shook his head.

“Look, you’re good. But you’re nowhere near good enough to travel across the continent on your own,” Ewan told her.

“And you are?” Marisa asked him.

“…OK, maybe you have a point there… but apparently, Ephraim’s here. Innes is serving his sister Eirika right now, so I hear,” Ewan told her excitedly. Marisa looked up, as Ephraim got to his feet, and began rallying a stronger defence against the monsters. Marisa heard a cyclops behind her, and quickly turned to strike it. The long gash of the Shamshir cleaved the cyclops’s body nearly in two were it not for its tremendous bulk, and the beast dropped to the ground.

“Understood. I will join with Ephraim until I am able to secure passage to Gerik,” Marisa told him. Ewan giggled much louder that time.

“Then I suppose I’ll keep you company, though forgive me if I hold out for Saleh,” Ewan exclaimed. Marisa looked up, and noticed a pegasus knight riding forward.

“Are you with Ephraim?” Marisa asked. The pegasus knight nodded, looking around nervously.

“Who’s the boss around here?” she asked.

“Caellach. But I think he left,” Marisa told her.

“But can we join you guys?” Ewan asked excitedly. The pegasus knight turned back to him, confused.

“Of course. Lute’s out for a while, but you should be set between Ephraim and Duessel. I wonder, though… there’s got to be someone here, right?” she asked, continuing on. Ewan and Marisa shared a glance, before going to see Ephraim. 

* * *

Princess Tana jumped, having arrived at the place she heard Caellach was commanding from. Sure enough, it had been abandoned by the Grado soldiers, leaving only a dead-looking cavalier and a pair of wights. It was in the eyes of the cavalier that Tana found her hesitation- she recognised this one.

“…Kyle?” Tana asked. Kyle drew a sword, and began his approach. The wights came close as well, but Achaeus could deal with them quickly, even securing the sword of one of them for Tana to brandish.

“Kyle, I’m sorry…” Tana stuttered out. Kyle slashed his sword overhead, and Tana quickly pulled hers up to block. Kyle snarled, and switched to a thrust. Tana managed her deflect, sending Kyle forward. Tana grabbed his hand, squeezing the sword out of it, and pushing him to the ground. Tana dismounted, and faced him.

“Kyle…” Tana squeaked out. Kyle looked towards his sword and his horse.

“Tana!” Ephraim’s voice called out. Tana ignored it, continuing to stare at Kyle. She knew that, if Kyle tried another attack, she would be helpless to resist.

“Kyle?” Ephraim asked.

“Do you know this soldier?” Duessel’s voice asked.

“He was one of the cavaliers that died defending me… Tana’s been feeling guilty about that, too…” Ephraim responded. Tana felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, as Duessel pushed her to one side and faced Kyle himself.

“…He looks pretty dead to me, aside from the whole ‘walking’ thing… but…” Duessel remarked, trailing off.

“But?” Ephraim asked nervously.

“…Vigarde looked just as bad,” Duessel told him. Ephraim and Tana shared a glance, before turning back to Duessel.

“You’re joking,” Ephraim told him.

“I’m what?” Duessel asked, somewhat confused. Ephraim tossed a javelin at Kyle, turning him into dust.

“Duessel, if Vigarde was dead when he ordered the attack… there has to be a puppeteer! The odd witch that keeps harassing us, maybe?” Ephraim exclaimed. Duessel gave the matter some thought.

“…I have a theory. But it requires some more time before I’m confident enough to suggest it. In the meantime, you have a princess to comfort,” Duessel remarked, turning back towards the Grado army. Ephraim turned to Tana, and wordlessly pulled her into his arms, sitting her down by Achaeus’s side.


	17. Canyon Ambush

_ Jehanna is a nation of dancing white sand and little else. Mercenaries of varied talents and ruthlessness paint the picture of the average Jehannan to an outsider. The country is ruled by Queen Ismaire, in accordance with her husband’s dying wish, and the only known heir abandoned Jehanna. Leaving Caer Pelyn behind, Innes approaches his destination, hoping to meet with the Queen of the White Dunes and discuss the matter of the Sacred Stones. What he encounters, however, are Grado forces. _

* * *

 

Innes looked up in the skies. He was expecting a wyvern of Grado’s to appear at any moment, to break the silence from the enemy forces, and with his bow repaired, he was ready to fire. A shadow crossed overhead, and Innes prepared his draw. He quickly identified the wings of a pegasus on the shape, and relaxed his draw just as he prepared it. After all, his father had been insistent he not shoot down any pegasus knights in war unless he knew they were the enemy. The pegasus knight descended down to stand in front of Innes.

“Prince Innes, I come bearing news from Frelia,” the messenger stated. A long pause passed between them.

“…The news?” Innes asked sharply.

“Frelia has sent an army to help control the renegade faction of Carcino, with help from Klimt. Carcino’s forces have been retreating in Jehanna’s direction,” the messenger proclaimed. Innes nodded.

“Any news of Ephraim?” Seth asked from behind Innes. The messenger bowed to his direction.

“Prince Ephraim has taken advantage of dissenting Grado opinion to turn Grado’s militia against their Emperor. Titling his new army the Grado Liberation Army, he marches on the capital,” the messenger explained.

“Traitor,” Innes spat instinctively.

“I respectfully disagree, Your Highness. Our quarrel is not with the Grado militia- it is with the decisions Emperor Vigarde has made recently. Ephraim is making a clear example of that, and if his efforts succeed, it will be easy to suggest an alternative ruler should the Marinsdatter line fall. Granted, the Grado people are going to push for that ruler to be Ephraim, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it,” Seth argued. Innes looked at him blankly.

“…Lyon’s surname is Marinsdatter?” Innes asked finally. Seth tried his best to supress his chuckle.

“Yes it is, Innes MacDethyl,” Seth snarked. Innes truthfully had no response to that slight.

“Dismissed, messenger. Soldiers, onwards,” Innes stated, prepared to steer away from the mention of the royal surnames.

* * *

At the next break, Vanessa approached Innes somewhat cautiously. Innes looked up, and smiled encouragingly, giving Vanessa the courage to move in.

“Innes… do you have any intent on marrying?” Vanessa asked right out, before she lost said courage.

“Why do you ask, anyway?” Innes started. Vanessa paused- she had two different, though interconnected, reasons.

“Well… you know… I… you’re a prince. And as a prince, wouldn’t you be looking for a more political marriage, like Eirika?” Vanessa stuttered out. Innes chuckled- he had a rough idea on what Vanessa was thinking.

“Vanessa, you misunderstand the purpose of such marriages. Frelia would benefit much more if I were to marry a noble from a different country- as much as it irks me to admit, Tana’s going to marry Ephraim, and that’s our bond with Renais settled. However, to be honest, I’m not looking forward to it- the only other option is the princess of Rausten,” Innes explained.

“The princess of Rausten? You know her?” Vanessa asked. Innes nodded.

“I met her on a diplomatic encounter with Rausten. She’s got an ego the size of the moon, and that’s not the girl for me. At any rate, Jehanna and Grado don’t have known female heirs, so I’m probably going to sit this business out, wait for something a bit more tolerable to show up,” Innes remarked. Vanessa smirked, and brushed her hand against his.

“You could not bother,” Vanessa told him.

“…Vanessa, I know what your angle is. I assure you, you’re wasting your time,” Innes told her. Vanessa looked down in disappointment, and Innes gave her a comforting hug.

“Sorry, Innes… I just hoped…” Vanessa stuttered out.

“That you wouldn’t have to share?” Innes asked. Vanessa stepped back, and gave Innes a solidly confused look.

“…Does no one bother to learn these loopholes? No wonder they’ve gone uncontested for so long…” Innes remarked.

* * *

Gerik stood atop a hill, lost in thought. He was, however, not thoughtless enough to stand there without regard for enemy observation- he had determined there was none before he started. However, he hadn’t quite reckoned on ally observation.

“Hey there, Gerik,” Joshua’s drawl called out.

“You’re that mercenary that goes by Joshua, aren’t you?” Gerik asked, as Joshua came to stand beside him.

“Heh. I guess nothing gets past you, does it… how long have you known?” Joshua asked.

“Natasha asked me about mercenaries taking on second names. It wasn’t exactly hard to realise she learned about Jhosua,” Gerik told him. Joshua chuckled.

“Did you tell her who Jhosua is?” Joshua asked. Gerik shrugged.

“Didn’t think to bother. After all, isn’t that your job?” Gerik told him.

“True… anyway Gerik, what are you thinking about?” Joshua asked. Gerik turned to him thoughtfully.

“…Do you know how many friends I’ve known who went off and got killed? Not a day goes by where I don’t think of them… but this is a little worse. See, at the heart of my troop is me, Tethys, and a girl named Marisa. We found her in a poorer village, taking odd jobs to get by. I took her under my wing and quickly became friends with her… but the guild bungled her assignment, most likely, and now she’s off somewhere else. I’m terrified that she’ll have died, because of some old dodderer in the mercenary guild ticking the wrong box,” Gerik explained to him. Joshua gave him a meaningful glance.

“…I understand, Gerik. I hope you find Marisa after this is all over… but you’ll forgive me if I don’t join in your wrath when she doesn’t. After all, it’s just bad luck, and Jehanna can’t survive without mercenaries,” Joshua told him. Gerik chuckled.

“At least you’re sympathetic… though forgive  _ me _ if I think that somehow, this whole mess is the fault of your gambling habit,” Gerik told him.

“Heh, no way. I picked that up on the journey. But at some point, I will learn not to gamble with Neimi’s girls. How do I keep forgetting those sharp eyes they have…” Joshua sighed. Gerik let out a loud bark of laughter.

“Maybe if you leave it to luck, you might actually win… or lose less often,” Gerik told him.

* * *

Caellach walked up to the party assembled and awaiting the arrival of Eirika’s forces. Their disciplined formations, prepared ballistae, effective weaponry and siege magicians told Caellach all he needed to know about the commanding officer- a great knight by the name of Aias. Aias was no great shakes at combat, but his tactical prowess was legendary, and if a foe ever got in range of him, he would have three weapons on hand, at least one of which would be enough to make up for his lacklustre talent.

“You are prepared, Aias?” Caellach asked. Aias looked up from his last minute checking, before nodding.

“Ballistae for disruption and the pegasus knights, all three anti-cavalry weapons to deal with that Silver Knight Seth, and the finest siege magic I could procure for the Prince Innes. And don’t worry, I’ve organised for the ballistae to be destroyed if the rider is defeated,” Aias reported. Caellach smirked, taking another glance at the formations. Caellach didn’t have a head for tactics at all, but it certainly looked dangerous.

“You know, Aias, now that the Imperial Three is no more, I could put in a good word for you to be promoted to Imperial General,” Caellach remarked.

“Thanks, but no thanks. The trappings of the court hold no appeal to me. I will gladly support your ambitions, Cethelreda, but I will refuse to join,” Aias told him. Caellach laughed.

“Aias, please, Cethelreda is a thing of the past. The name’s Caellach, and I’m going to prove to the continent that Jehannan mercenaries are a thing to be feared. Anyway, I’ve heard whispers of a threat coming from the north- I’ll go head that off. Don’t disappoint me, Aias,” Caellach told him, before beginning his trek to the north.

“…And so the board has been prepared. All that remains is for the black pieces to set up,” Aias remarked, awaiting the arrival of the enemy.

* * *

Eirika looked over the crest. Faintly, in the distance, she could spot the red armour of the trap lying in wait. She curled her lip at the sight of the weapons prepared- the enemy tactician clearly knew a thing or two about his enemy. She caressed her javelins thoughtfully, trying to pick the leader out.

“Princess Eirika, you are injured still. Best not to spring the trap until the knights of Rausten catch up,” L’Arachel called to her. Eirika nodded, stepping down so as to avoid detection. Princess L’Arachel rode beside her, clearly not caring to bother, and Dozla sat down with his back to a tree beside them. Eirika knew, from L’Arachel telling her at least three times, that Dozla could jump to their defence if need be, but wouldn’t care about anything they said.

“L’Arachel… I’m surprised you’re not charging in there,” Eirika told her with a smile.

“You are a pearl. I am a diamond. Similar in beauty, but different in strength. I must protect both of our sheens,” L’Arachel told her. Eirika had to supress a laugh at that one.

“Indeed. But one can cut a diamond if you give it a solid enough whack,” a harsh drawl called. Eirika and L’Arachel turned, to see a menacing figure impose over them.

“Heh. Two in one,” Caellach laughed. Eirika stepped forward with her rapier, but Dozla was quicker. He could not draw his axe in time, but made do with a heavy bash with his shoulder. While Caellach jumped up from the ground, Dozla drew his massive battleaxe.

“You shall not lay a finger on Princess L’Arachel!” Dozla roared. Caellach grunted, and parried the massive stroke with his own axe. Dozla might have had massive power behind his blade, but Caellach had a lot more control. Dozla’s next stroke was a heavy sidestrike, which Caellach dodged by ducking. He used his momentum to cleave a heavy sidestrike of his own while Dozla was off balance, hitting Dozla’s side. L’Arachel quickly cast a healing spell, and Dozla’s eyes narrowed. He tossed his axe into the air, the axe spinning round and round, as Caellach swung forward, striking right in between Dozla’s exposed ribs. Dozla let out a croak, and dropped down, his axe descending onto Caellach’s arm. Without Dozla’s guidance, it wasn’t a severe wound, but it was still a heavy axe falling onto his arm.

“Dozla!” L’Arachel exclaimed. Caellach growled, but with a sharp look from Eirika, he withdrew to restore his arm. L’Arachel meanwhile, had drawn her staff and began crossing over Dozla’s wound over and over, practicing the technique she remembered vaguely from the teachings of Latona.

“Please be all right, Dozla… Latona’s bloodline would never forgive you if you died now, when you were needed most!” L’Arachel called. Even in this moment, with the life of her most trusted retainer quickly fading away, L’Arachel’s petulant tone shone through.

“Gwah ha… don’t worry, L’Arachel! You can heal just as well as you can fight, I’ll be fixed in a jiffy!” Dozla exclaimed proudly. L’Arachel smirked, and Eirika quickly realised it’d probably be a good idea for her to pull out the vulneraries she picked up to give L’Arachel a hand.

* * *

Neimi stopped the party suddenly, a whisper in the winds catching her thoughts. She pulled up the cowl of her cloak and dismounted, sneaking forwards. She spotted the upcoming enemies, and left the scene just as quietly.

“There are enemies ahead. They are attempting concealment, and I recognised a few nasty surprises like ballistae and siege magic. Anyone have any ideas?” Neimi whispered to her cohorts. Innes and Seth looked between each other, and then over their party.

“Seth, Gerik, Joshua, Garcia, you lead the charge. Shatter the ballistae first and foremost, but keep at scattered distance with each other. Vanessa, you lead a sneak attack on the enemy rear lines. Neimi, you and I will rain arrows from the rear. Moulder, Natasha, we don’t know what the enemy has planned, so don’t bother remaining in the rear- we need you on the field in support. So keep your wits about you,” Innes organised. Everyone looked amongst each other, concerned about the enemy.

“…I guess we’d better get going,” Gerik remarked, concerned with how well the enemy seemed prepared for their attack.

* * *

“At last, black makes their move. I’m sure that’s cheating, but I’m not opposed to it,” Aias remarked, watching the advance. Four warriors of different strengths charged forward, the familiar sight of arrows in the air following behind them. Aias watched their approach- they were heading straight for the ballistae. An excellent decision, as that would grant them control of the skies in which to fly their pegasus knights.

“Their queen has appeared… charge the counter. I’d hold the Halberds, though,” Aias called. Those with Zanbatos and Horseslayers stepped forward, brandishing them threateningly. As predicted, the footsoldiers stepped forward, the axeman glaring at the Horseslayers, and the swordsmen parrying the Zanbato. One of the swordsmen broke away from the conflict, and approached Aias himself.

“You… I recognise you. You know Cethelreda, right?” the swordsman asked.

“…He goes by Caellach, now. From where do you know his Jehannan name?” Aias asked.

“My Jehannan name is Jhosua. Perhaps that rings a bell?” the swordsman, Jhosua, remarked. Aias leapt in his horse’s saddle.

“Jhosua? Well, this will be my time to prove I’m not a worthless king,” Aias remarked, drawing his Swordslayer. The curve of the axe was well suited to taking out those that wielded swords, with sword-wielding infantry being the preferred target. This one moment, Aias felt in his element, choosing the tactical advantage, before Jhosua drew a Lancereaver and challenged him to a battle. Jhosua delivered a lightning-fast stroke to the horse Aias rode on, which was considerably less armoured than Aias himself. Aias swung his Swordslayer, trusting in the power of the axe, but Jhosua was long-gone by the time the axe reached him. Aias looked around nervously, before finding a sword pierced through his armour.

“You were great on tactics, old pal… but you were never skilled at battle,” Jhosua remarked.

“Correct… but my formations have never been defeated… not even now… my mages will continue to fight, even in my death! You haven’t won yet!” Aias called. Jhosua looked around, and the siege magicians spurred into action. He knew that the survival of their own army was in the hands of quick movements.

“You have my highest regards as a tactician, Aias. But we’ll survive your siege,” Jhosua told him.

* * *

*CRACK*

The first strike of Bolting cleaved directly for Innes. Neimi tossed her bow aside and shoved him out of the way just in time, but her arm caught a serious burn from the bolt. Innes looked at her with a renewed sense of wonder.

*CRACK*

The second strike cleaved directly for Vanessa, whose instinctual dodge manoeuvre pulled her from her pegasus. The wyverns spread apart, to avoid damage to the group, while the pegasus knights began their search for the offending mages. Two pegasus knights remained to help Vanessa after her incident.

*CRACK*

The third strike would’ve hit Seth were it not for the nightmarish effective weaponry assault that he was already on full dodging alert to deal with. The bump in the ground it caused sent Garcia slightly off balance, but he recovered before any enterprising mercenary could capitalise.

*CRACK*

The fourth strike went right for Moulder, which Natasha hurriedly helped stave off using a Barrier staff. She immediately knelt in prayer, holding up the staff in the hope of casting it to protect everyone. A few seconds passed, and four more Bolting spells sounded- one of which faded against Natasha’s Barrier.

“Four spells means four mages…” Moulder observed, looking around for a possible origin. Four more Bolting casts descended, and then a fifth. Moulder looked around for the new caster- were there more mages, waiting to obfuscate numbers?

“Eizariya, give us strength… please, grant us the strength to weather this storm…” Natasha muttered more loudly.

* * *

Eirika looked ahead- bolts of lightning were cleaving down on an open mountain passageway. Without having a good idea for the positioning of friend and foe, she knew she was ready to reunite with her group. L’Arachel stood beside her, her eyes closed and her hands in front of her. The mages of Rausten stood behind them, waiting for L’Arachel’s call.

“Two o’clock, two… no, three tiles forward!” L’Arachel called.

_ “Bolting from the heavens, strike thy enemy!”  _ a sage casted. A bolt of lightning dropped down.

“Eleven o’clock, six tiles forward, one tile left!” L’Arachel called again.

_ “Purge the foe which threatens us all!”  _ another sage casted. The familiar sound of light magic echoed across the forest.

“Healers, twelve o’clock, five tiles forward, two tiles left, dismounted pegasus knight!” L’Arachel called. The beautiful sound of a Physic staff echoed behind her ears, its magic flowing into what would presumably be Vanessa. L’Arachel marched the van forward, and called some more directions. The army continued their siege until they encountered confirmation that no more enemies were in the area, and they were before Moulder and Natasha. L’Arachel looked down at the still-kneeling form of the latter.

“Perfect, you’re already kneeling before my beauty and magical strength,” L’Arachel remarked. Natasha jumped to her feet, seriously confused by the woman who stood before her. But Moulder only had eyes for the other.

“Princess Eirika… you have returned,” Moulder stuttered out, before kneeling for her.

“Moulder, I won’t claim my return was anything other than the help of Princess L’Arachel here, and her knights of Rausten. Bowing and scraping just isn’t appropriate,” Eirika sighed. Moulder returned to his knees, before the two healers rushed to regroup Innes’s army.

“Speaking of which… thank you, L’Arachel,” Eirika told her. L’Arachel beamed.

“No, princess… thank  _ you _ ,” L’Arachel told her. Eirika was just as dumbfounded by that remark as most of her others, but she appreciated it all the same.

* * *

Camp was set up on the now peaceful battlefield, to have the now plentiful healers check up on the many casualties the enemy had caused. Eirika’s heart skipped a beat recognising Seth amongst them, his old wound from Valter being reopened and some new ones joining it.

“Seth…” she remarked, approaching him cautiously. Moulder, the healer attending to him at that moment, stepped back, allowing the princess to approach.

“Eirika… you’ve returned?” Seth asked. Eirika nodded, looking over him worriedly.

“Seth… what happened?” Eirika asked.

“The ambushers had several anti-cavalry weapons… they knew I was one of the foremost knights in the vanguard. They wanted me dead,” Seth told her.

“Oh my… you must’ve been very brave, fighting those off with just the mercenaries we have,” Eirika observed. A sad smile passed over Seth’s face.

“Eirika… please forgive my rudeness, but I am only your subject. You really should not be favouring me over your other men and women,” Seth told her. Eirika almost had to laugh.

“Seth, after all we’ve been through, you’re going to maintain that you’re not a knight worthy of higher calling?” Eirika asked.

“This isn’t about worth, this is about social status. The fact remains, Eirika, that the marriage of commoner and princess… it’ll be frowned upon. And if you cannot treat me as you would any other knight, your strategies in battle will suffer,” Seth told her. Eirika did laugh at that.

“Renais’s nobles are still alive to cast judgements? I honestly doubt that. And point to one of the other princes and princesses that isn’t bothered by that stigma- and don’t say L’Arachel, you’ve barely met her,” Eirika told him firmly.

“Eirika… I know it can be hard. But you have to shoulder the burden-” Seth started.

“I’m not going to. And that’s that,” Eirika told him, turning to go find Innes or L’Arachel. Seth pulled his strong arm up to his chest, as Moulder returned to his administrations.

“I have it on good authority that Prince Innes is going to marry Vanessa. I’m with Eirika on this one,” Moulder told him. Seth shot him a look that said everything on his mind.

“Just trying to ease the tension…” Moulder told him, returning to his work.

* * *

Eirika arrived in the middle of a very heated, but completely calm, argument between Innes and L’Arachel. She hesitated, before approaching.

“And I’m just saying your wild streak is both unbecoming of a princess and of a healer, and your ego is bigger than Magvel,” Innes told him.

“Nonsense, my dearest Innes. After all, wouldn’t your little knightly games with the Renais princess be considered just as ‘wild’, to use your word?” L’Arachel replied.

“What about Innes and me?” Eirika asked, arms crossed. L’Arachel and Innes turned to her, looking between her and each other.

“Princess Eirika, I love you. I want to keep you safe at all costs,” Innes told her. Eirika raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, come off it, Innes, you’re just trying to weasel your way out of marrying me. First you say that ‘pegasus knight’ Vanessa is your love, and now you’re trying to pass Eirika off as your love, despite the fact that I’m well aware her heart’s with Seth, and you have issues with Ephraim that poor Tana’s forced to bear part of the burden of. My patience is wearing thin… I know that a love for me is hiding away in there, longing to burst forward,” L’Arachel scolded.

“Princess L’Arachel, if I didn’t believe Eirika would run me through for it, I would shoot you right now,” Innes told him coolly.

“Seriously, are the two of you capable of remaining civil in each other’s company? Scratch that, I know you’re incapable of remaining civil in anyone’s company, L’Arachel, but you’re not nearly as hostile as you are now. And you, Innes… you’re the best of us royals at the whole ‘being royal’ thing. I expect better out of you,” Eirika told them. Both Innes and L’Arachel looked down in shame.

“Now, for the rest of this war, I don’t want to hear another argument about your marriage to each other. L’Arachel, there’ll be plenty of time for it once we’ve stopped whatever plot we’re trying to stop by going to Jehanna. Innes, keep your temper in check. Whatever L’Arachel’s faults, she is essential to our success, and I will not have her effectiveness undercut by childish squabbles. She’s already lost her most loyal vassal today- I don’t know how where her last straw is, but I do know she’s probably close to it,” Eirika told them.

“Sorry, Princess Eirika…” L’Arachel muttered.

“I understand, Princess…” Innes whispered. Eirika let a moment pass for the message to sink in, before she nodded approvingly.

“Innes, have you any word on the state of Jehanna?” Eirika asked. L’Arachel raised her hand, and Eirika turned to her.

“I sent one of my Rausten sages to inspect. I thought it faster travel over the desert soil. And… there’s a Grado force besieging Castle Presea. The queen appears to be as of yet unharmed, but the general seems to be a man called ‘Lyon’…” L’Arachel explained. Innes nodded in awe- this was a L’Arachel he could get behind. Eirika was just concerned.

“Prince Lyon of Grado…” Eirika muttered, drawing her rapier uncertainly.


	18. Stemmed Flow

_ Ephraim marches east, to Gormlaithe. Duessel’s thoughts, spoken and unspoken, pervade through his head- Emperor Vigarde is likely as much a pawn in this scheme than anyone else. Ephraim knows that confronting Vigarde will be necessary, but continues to wonder how the pieces fit together. Along the path, Artur convinces him to stop and investigate Za’albul Marsh. _

* * *

 

Cormag stood some distance away from the travelling party, giving Genarog a good scrubbing down. Genarog certainly needed it, and more importantly, it gave Cormag time alone to think. He certainly needed it, thinking back to the people he fought for- Duessel and the Whitewing.

“Greetings, Cormag,” a sinister voice called behind him. Cormag turned, and spotted Valter flying behind him. Cormag went to take his lance, but Valter wordlessly pulled something from his wyvern’s back, and dropped it on the ground between them.

‘It’ was Glen’s dead body.

“Brother…” Cormag stuttered out.

“Not a pretty sight, hm? But now is not the time for mourning- this is war, and with it comes promotion. Think about it- General Cormag, the new and improved Sunstone of Grado!” Valter exclaimed. Cormag looked at him angrily.

“I fight for a free Grado,” Cormag said simply. Valter tilted his head.

“Without hearing my side of the story? After all, I do know who killed General Glen,” Valter told him. Cormag scoffed.

“You’re going to tell me it’s Princess Eirika, right? You’re going to send me after her to slaughter her companions, probably dying in the act, so you can claim her as some kind of sick prize and keep her as what can only charitably be described as a pet. Don’t think you’ve fooled me for a second longer,” Cormag growled.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Valter exclaimed.

“In what way was I ridiculous? Are your obsessions with her not the mark of a man who wants only the foulest of acts, desecrating the good family line of Sivardson while Grado wipes out the rest of the continent? Valter, you are no further than five military paces from a camp filled with soldiers who once feared you, led by three of the finest names to ever grace a Grado battlefield, two of whom would be very interested to hear from someone with such dark designs on Princess Eirika. Valter, if you intend on leaving this place with both of your heads attached to your body, you will do so now, and fear the day you encounter them with their blades drawn. And if you think you can defeat all three of them… there will be more. There will be mages. There will be me. And against an army with nothing to lose, you will quickly find yourself on the receiving end of a losing battle. And that’s not a threat. That’s a promise,” Cormag growled. He had drawn the line on dealing with this blackhearted fool- all that remained was wondering whether said fool would cut his losses now.

“…This is not the end of this, Cormag. Know that Grado has abandoned you,” Valter admonished, turning and leaving him and Glen’s body. Cormag was left seething, until he heard someone’s approach.

“Sir Cormag… who was that man?” Artur asked. Cormag took a moment to collect himself before answering.

“Artur, that was Grado’s Moonstone Valter himself. Come to taunt me over the loss of my brother, and tempt me into doing something I might regret. Let it be known that I harbour nothing but contempt for the man,” Cormag assured him. Artur smiled, as he watched Genarog gain the courage to approach the dead body beside them. He sniffed it, before letting out a pained whine.

“Whoa, whoa, easy, boy!” Cormag called.

“What’s his problem?” Artur asked, eyeing the dead body worriedly.

“…Artur, Genarog is not my wyvern. He belongs to my brother, the Sunstone Glen. However… it’d be more accurate to say ‘belonged’. Glen is dead… and Valter delivered the body,” Cormag explained to him. Artur approached the body, and inspected it.

“Wide, sweeping cuts… those look like sword wounds, but whoever made them didn’t look to be great shakes with a sword. Let me check…” Artur remarked, before waving his divining rod over the body. His eyes were closed in thought, trying his hardest to observe the scene correctly.

“Valter was counting on that. He must’ve used a sword to make it seem as if Glen died at Princess Eirika’s hands,” Artur remarked.

“And my wyvern?” Cormag asked. Artur waved his wand again.

“Valter dismissed it,” Artur told him. Cormag grunted.

“How I regret not running him through right then and there… all right, Genarog, feel free,” Cormag called, stepping back. Artur watched in slight horror as Genarog descended on his old rider’s body, and devoured it.

“Grado wyverns eat their riders when they die?” Artur asked, shocked.

“Very rarely. Most wyverns die first. But it’s considered good luck in the afterlife if a wyvern knight is taken into the skies in the belly of their old wyvern. At least, that’s what I heard in Grado. Judging from your reaction, I’m not sure if there’s a lot of truth in it, but you never know,” Cormag explained. Genarog let out a cough, and a small stone came out of his mouth. Artur, despite himself, approached it cautiously. He touched it and, taking his continued existence as a sign Genarog would be OK with it, picked it up.

“…No. No way,” Artur remarked.

“What is that?” Cormag asked.

“Wyvernstone. It’s a powerful magical artefact, rarer and more potent than the dragonstones of the manakete… and if this is why…” Artur stuttered, holding up the wyvernstone.

“Powerful magical artefact? Well, if Genarog’s going to let you have it, I don’t see why you and Lute can’t put it to use,” Cormag told him. Artur nodded hesitantly, leaving with the stone. Genarog curled up, sniffling slightly, and Cormag chose to sit beside him.

* * *

Ross cleaved down on the wood. Chop, slide, chop. The firewood was hardly necessary, but after the incident with the vanishing boat, Ross saw fit to get back to work on his muscles- Lute’s magic must’ve made him complacent. He paused in the act, checking how much firewood he had, when he heard the thud of a hatchet fall onto wood next to him. He looked up, and noticed Amelia.

“…How long have you been there?” Ross asked. Amelia jumped.

“…For a while, actually. Duessel suggested to me that I start to learn other weapons, so when I saw you were going to build your axe muscles, I decided to follow and try it out, too,” Amelia told him. Ross chuckled.

“So that explains it… knew I should’ve had more wood. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask- how has this war been treating you?” Ross told her. Amelia looked down.

“…Rather nice, considering the alternatives. I’m grateful I haven’t had to worry about turning my lance on my countrymen, and Finn’s been a strong pillar of support for me. But… he seems distant lately,” Amelia remarked. Ross chuckled.

“Aye, he reckons you should be hanging around with kids your own age. Asked me himself. He’s still just as worried about you now as he was back when you met… you know, I have something for you,” Ross told her. Amelia looked up, and Ross pulled out a necklace to hand her.

“Ross… it’s beautiful…” Amelia muttered.

“It’s an old heirloom from my mum. Not the most useful of things for a guy like me, but I thought you could use it,” Ross told her. Amelia looked up, shocked.

“I can’t take this!” Amelia exclaimed. Ross shook his head.

“Take it. Like I said- it’s not that useful for me,” Ross told her. Amelia calmed down, and pulled it over her head. The weight seemed like something she wouldn’t bring to a battlefield, but the thought behind the gesture was nice enough.

“It’s just… I never had anything all that expensive as a kid. We had to make every penny count…” Amelia told her. Ross gave a sympathetic smile, before jumping. Amelia looked down, and jumped too.

“And how long have  _ you _ been there?” Ross and Amelia exclaimed in unison. Ewan jumped to his feet, giggling like a kid.

“Hi! Name’s Ewan!” Ewan called out.

“Careful, kiddo- you never know who could be listening around here!” Ross told him.

“What were you even doing down there, Ewan?” Amelia asked.

“You’re cute,” Ewan told her, as if that was an explanation. Ross and Amelia looked between each other.

“You’re… odd,” Ross told him.

“You sound just like Dara! Say something about the Great Dragon!” Ewan laughed. Ross tilted his head in confusion, and Ewan shrugged.

“Hey girl! Wanna see some magic?” Ewan asked. Before Amelia got the chance to respond, Ewan clapped his hands together, creating a small swarm of some kind of dancing lights. They formed a heart shape, before settling around Amelia’s hair and disappearing. Amelia giggled lightly.

“Thanks… name’s Amelia, by the way,” Amelia told him.

“Ross,” Ross stated simply. Ewan turned to Ross uncertainly.

“Hey, Ross! Wanna hear a brainteaser?” Ewan asked finally. Ross looked up at Amelia, who was just as lost as he was.

“Uh… sure?” Ross asked, before Ewan launched into an explanation he only half-followed.

* * *

Za’albul Marsh was home to the village Tamzily, a rather plain place of residence amongst Grado every day except those in this week, where flea markets were established and people all across the country came to buy and sell unwanted goods. This year, due to the war, the pickings were hardly good, and the customers and vendors few. Riki, one of the more well-known vendors, was watching for customer approach. Musing at the oddity of their absence briefly, he eventually caught the eye on a young-looking girl, who wore a very neat black dress and had hair covering her eyes. Despite the latter, she was still looking at his wares.

“See anything you fancy?” Riki asked. The girl picked up an odd, pulsating rock, looking at it thoughtfully.

“Ah, that is an interesting item. I acquired it in unusual circumstances, and I’m told it has immense magical application. How immense? I don’t know. Do you want to try it out? Only 2300 gold, but for you… how about 2000?” Riki asked. The girl looked up at him thoughtfully, before brushing her hair out of her eyes. Riki screamed, and Delphine turned back to the dragonstone.

“Zero is fine,” she told him.

* * *

Ephraim led the approach, following Artur’s advice. Even though he had little skill with magic, he too could feel traces of that pull that drove them forward. He could tell Tana and the mages would be feeling that pull more strongly, as the path opened up into an odd sight.

Duessel had told him that Grado held a flea market event here yearly. Ephraim could easily tell that what he was looking at could once have been described as a flea market- stalls of various wares lined the streets of what once might have been a prosperous village. But the stalls were empty, their wares scattered across the stalls and even over the ground. Lying in the centre of the street was something very odd indeed. It was a round ball that seemed alive- it had the arms, legs and face of a human, but it was very clearly not.

“Travellers… Sivardson… Whitewing… Obsidian…” the thing muttered, in an oddly high-pitched voice.

“Artur, any idea what that thing is and what to do with it?” Ephraim asked. Artur quickly waved his divining rod.

“That was once a vendor, mutated. Lute?” Artur explained. With the knowledge he possessed, he could divine little else from the scene. Lute, who wore the wyvernstone and was capable of walking, looked closely at the vendor.

“I don’t know what kind of monster that is, but I do suspect it will do something dangerous,” Lute observed. She started to cast a spell, before the vendor fired off a blast of noxious gas. Those nearer the back of the party could cover their nose in time, but the members at the front found themselves somewhat sickly. Lute let wind magic pass around her, the benefits of the wyvernstone allowing her to overcome her illness to fight, before she cast a powerful fire hex at the vendor. The spell was just a little bit more powerful than Lute expected, setting one of the stalls on fire in addition to incinerating the cursed vendor. Artur began immediately getting to curing the toxic condition, while everyone else steeled themselves for the worst. Whatever lie in wait down here was going to be a tough fight.

* * *

The party pressed on, following the magic the mages were feeling. This led them into a Bolting bolt of lightning that Tana’s instincts helped them avoid. They stepped back, cautious of Bolting, before beginning to survey the surroundings. A woman sitting astride a horse sat in the middle of a winding path around rivers, a glimmering stone around her neck. As they watched, Delphine summoned many Grado soldiers of varying classes, including a pair of wyvern riders, before disappearing.

“Is that… Selena?” Duessel asked, looking to the distance. The initial figure responded by casting Bolting at the spot in front of them- they were either out of range or she was intimidating them. Either way, it was likely that it was General Selena the Fluorspar, master of magic, at the other end of the field.

“So how do we handle her?” Ephraim asked, drawing the Reginleif. Considering these men were summoned by Delphine, he was not trusting them to defect.

“Bolting makes it dangerous to approach her, and the fact she’s in the middle of a marsh that requires winding paths to get to her puts her in her element. If we could engineer this situation for Selena, the battle was determinedly in Grado’s favour. The tactic’s weakness remains the fragility of Bolting tomes, making unleashing too many charges in the one encounter dangerous to her health. I believe she can manage five charges with one tome…” Duessel remarked.

“But I would not be surprised if Delphine gave her multiple tomes, or enchanted her so she didn’t need them,” Tana observed. Duessel nodded, observing the routes.

“Artur, Lute, remain in this position, and cast from afar. Soldiers, split into two teams and approach from either end. Cormag, taking care to avoid Selena, deal with the enemy wyverns. Princess Tana, approach Selena, and attempt to deal with her. Remember to disengage if you get overwhelmed,” Duessel suggested. Ephraim nodded, mentally dividing the parties in his head.

“Should we attempt to recruit her?” Ephraim asked. Duessel looked into the General Selena opposite them.

“…Attempt? Yes. But do not force her. If she refuses, cut your losses and fight her,” Duessel told him. Ephraim nodded, taking in a breath.

“All units, move out!” Ephraim ordered.

* * *

Tana bolted immediately for General Selena, hoping to deliver a decisive blow as the match began. General Selena raised her arms, and cast a powerful wind spell. Tana was blown back to Artur and Lute, and some other soldiers found themselves paused to weather the winds. Lute looked closely at General Selena.

“…That’s Myrrh’s dragonstone!” Lute exclaimed. Artur scrounged about his satchel, and pulled out a Barrier staff. He cast it over Tana, and Tana made a second approach. The wind spell seemed to ignore Artur’s efforts, sending Tana back to their side.

“That’s…” Lute muttered. She held her arms up, and cast a powerful fire spell. The wind came up to block it, and Lute focused. Eventually, her fire made it through, but not a speck of fire appeared on Selena. The soldiers nearest to her, though, became ash and dust.

“Fascinating… the effects of the dragonstone are greater than prior research suggests. Artur, I’m going studying,” Lute remarked. Before Artur could choose a reason to hold her back, Lute had begun her approach, cutting directly through the river to meet General Selena and her dragonstone.

* * *

Ephraim and Duessel charged forward, paying no mind the Grado forces. As it was, they seemed hardly differentiated from the monsters they encountered in Taizel, and monsters didn’t have much of a head for tactics and strategy. Dangerous in large numbers, but a solid plan made mincemeat out of a group of any size. Duessel stood on the ford that led to Selena’s base of operations, and faced the Fluorspar.

“General Selena! Delphine is serving a higher power than Vigarde!” Duessel boomed. It sounded a lot better in his head, but he needed Selena to think first. Ephraim stood beside him, and looked more closely at her.

“Wait a minute… Duessel…” Ephraim muttered. Duessel took the time to inspect Selena.

“…Whatever is the matter, Selena? You look worse than the time Vigarde fell ill and nearly died,” Duessel observed. Selena had bags under her eyes, a ghostly pallor that could not be brushed aside as makeup, and her jaw and hands looked pinched.

“…I don’t think that’s normal…” Ephraim observed. Duessel thought the matter through.

“Selena… say something. Anything. Taunt us, lecture us, anything! Just say something!” Duessel shouted. Selena prepared an orb of lightning in her hands, and shot glares at them both. Glares, Ephraim observed, that seemed empty of emotions like hatred or confusion.

Or indeed, any emotion whatsoever.

“…Selena’s gone,” Ephraim said. Duessel let out a choked howl. Now that it had been said, there was no way it could be ignored. Selena was no different from the Grado soldiers that accompanied her- she was just a shadow of her former self. Selena cast her orb of lightning, and Ephraim shoved Duessel out of the path. Still standing in a ford, the jolt of electricity passing through his armour painfully, before he dropped to all fours, still in the ford. He had to move. That was all he could do. He had to move, or the next bolt would kill.

“Get the hell away from Ephraim, you Grado-” he heard in his ears before the effort of moving drained him. He idly mused, as grey marsh turned to black, where Tana had learned such words.

* * *

Tana’s javelins missed the mage knight- she was too worried about Ephraim to focus. But with Duessel moving him to safety, Tana could focus on drawing her sword and darting in. But Selena, too, was unconcerned with distractions. Wind magic returned to the fray, pushing against Achaeus. Tana dug her legs into her pegasus, and she could tell Achaeus had that same driving power- to charge in against all odds and fight the mounted mage. However, she felt Achaeus stopping, as Selena’s might picked up. She was worried about continuing… but at the same time, stopping would be a nightmare.

When she started rushing forward, she realised Selena had stopped, but it was too late to check her effort- she was sent ramming into Selena and Lute, knocking the three off their mounts. Achaeus flew to Artur’s side, to keep away from any Grado soldiers, while Tana and Lute attempted to extricate themselves from Selena and her horse. Not helped by Selena’s single-minded determination to continue the fight, using fire instead of wind. Tana felt a sudden burst of wind, and she flew over to Duessel’s side, surprisingly unharmed. A similar gust of wind did the same to Selena’s horse, but attempts to keep that safe were not made- if the fall didn’t hurt it, the Grado soldier’s spears definitely did. Lute and Selena stood in the middle of the field, magic flying freely about. Both the wyvernstone and the dragonstone were shining brilliantly- the natural talent of both mages, combined with the channelling nature of their jewels, kept them sending forward more spells than one could expect in a normal encounter.

What she should have expected at some point was for Delphine to appear beside Selena.

“A wyvernstone? That’s just cheating…” Delphine observed, looking between her and those sitting by the riverbank. Tana suddenly felt herself exposed.

“Hmph. I have a mission, and Lyon has asked that I take this dragonstone for business later. Don’t want to wear away all its magic, do I? And as much as I want to mess with you now, neutralise your threat… last time I tried that, Riev screwed me out of the finishing touch. There’s no way I’m going to succeed with him around. So I’m pulling a Valter and letting you proceed. Beware, Ephraim… when I get serious, you’re dead,” Delphine remarked. She disappeared as quickly as she appeared, Selena’s dragonstone going with her. Lute’s magic suddenly gained the upper hand, and Selena vanished into dust after who knows how many spells reached her. Lute stepped back, snarling slightly.

“That witch is toying with us!” Lute exclaimed in annoyance. Tana wasn’t sure whether Lute was more annoyed about the dragonstone or the sparing, but she did know that Lute wanted to use a stronger word than ‘witch’.

“We’ll find her… she can’t run forever,” Tana assured her. Lute turned to Tana, before realising that Ephraim was standing by. With the Grado soldiers summoned by Delphine cleaned up, Lute could help Tana and Duessel get Ephraim back to Artur.

* * *

Ewan, wandering around camp that night, stumbled across the older mage Lute reading a book under a tree. Ewan looked over her shoulder at the words, but found them in the same language as his spellbooks. Since he couldn’t read those without help, he tried a different approach.

“Whatcha reading, Lute?” Ewan asked. Lute jumped, the book dislodging from its resting place and shoving into her gut. Lute took a moment to regain her composure before answering.

“I’m studying wandlore. Delphine uses a wand to channel her magic, and I want to know what magical benefits that carries,” Lute remarked.

“Really? Are wands better than tomes? Can you make me a wand?” Ewan asked. Lute chuckled at his enthusiasm.

“I just started studying today. I’m honestly surprised there’s so much to it. If I wanted to make a wand for myself to fight Delphine with, I’d need to find the proper tree for wood, imbibe it with the essence of some magical critter, and carefully construct it to be of a certain length and flexibility. And if I did do that exactly to my specifications, I can’t guarantee that you’d be able to pick it up and cast as effectively as I could with it,” Lute explained. Ewan didn’t skip a beat.

“Then make a wand for me, as well!” Ewan exclaimed. Lute sighed.

“I told you, it’s complicated. There’s no guarantee I’ll be able to make mine, and even if I could, it might not even help. There has to be some kind of drawback to using something other than a tome, or else no-one would be bothering,” Lute remarked, burying her nose back in the book. Ewan sat down next to her, eager to hear when she figured it out. He lost patience after a few minutes, and ran off to see Amelia again.

* * *

Tana came up beside Ephraim’s bedside, smiling at the fact he was sitting upright and Duessel was seated beside him already. Artur worked quickly for someone with little experience in staves- she’d have to ask Lute about that.

“How are you feeling, Duessel?” Tana asked. Duessel flashed a brief smile- Tana wasn’t quite as Ephraim-focused as she once was. However, that didn’t mean she didn’t plop down next to him and start stroking him absently.

“Not spectacularly… Glen’s gone, Selena’s dead and then we killed her, Vigarde’s probably dead… Grado’s military is made up of a few more dead people than I’m proud of,” Duessel remarked. Tana giggled.

“And of course, the living ones are just as bad. Valter… I can’t wait to make him dead. Riev and Delphine could very well be dead, and Caellach’s just a meanie,” Tana remarked. Duessel was amazed at how Tana could switch from coldly hating to childishly calling an ‘accomplished’ general a meanie.

“Indeed… makes one wonder who will take charge once this is all over,” Duessel observed. Ephraim and Tana looked between each other. They knew where this was going… they just weren’t sure if they wanted it to go there.

“You want us to be the rulers,” Tana remarked. Duessel opened his mouth to object, before letting out an anxious sound.

“I only meant Ephraim, but seeing any other wife for him than you just seems so quaint it was stupid to forget,” Duessel told him. Tana laughed aloud at that.

“Duessel… I’m honoured that you would have asked me to take the crown. But Renais is my home… Renais needs me more than Grado does,” Ephraim told him.

“That and there’ll be a lot of resistance to the Whitewing being crowned Empress,” Tana remarked.

“…I see. The matter of Grado’s rule is a question I will ponder myself… by the war’s end, I must have an answer,” Duessel remarked. Ephraim nodded.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Ephraim assured him.


	19. Defence of Presea

_ With aid from Rausten’s knights, Princess Eirika reunites with Prince Innes and escapes what might have been a terrific ambush. But they cannot relax yet- Presea is under attack, besieged by Grado forces. The fates of Queen Ismaire and the Sacred Stone of Jehanna are on the line- Eirika must make her assault count. _

* * *

 

“…Point,” Eirika stated. Her rapier had been pushed into Lyon’s robes, and it was only with quick work that it wasn’t with enough force to knock Lyon to the ground. The move would’ve been lethal had she been using her actual rapier.

“…You take this seriously, Eirika. I’m trying my hardest and still find myself at your mercy,” Lyon remarked, breathing heavily.

“Prince Ephraim is reckless. I fully expect to have to save him at some point, no matter how much he insists he’s the stronger one of us. He probably is, and there’s no way I’ll match  _ him _ , but I’ve got to be strong enough to hold off someone who’s about to kill him,” Eirika explained. Lyon smiled.

“I don’t have a sibling like you… all I’ve been working on is my compassion. And a fat lot of good that’ll do anyone,” Lyon remarked.

“Lyon, of course your compassion will be welcomed! Why do you think I like Tana so much? Why do you think I keep coming to visit you? You’re a nice guy, Lyon… and that’s worth just as much as being nice with a lance,” Eirika told him.

“Heh… thank you,” Lyon sighed.

“You’re welcome, Lyon,” Eirika stated, beaming.

“Oh, and Eirika… could I give you a little something before you go on your way?” Lyon asked. Eirika nodded, smiling encouragingly.

Eirika looked at the trinket Lyon had given her before she had left. It was a silver necklace with a fiery gem: Lyon had claimed Marin herself wore it, and were it not for the pristine condition she received it in, Eirika would’ve believed it. As it was, it remained a nice gesture.

“Princess, are you all right?” Seth asked. Eirika nodded, and looked up. Castle Presea stood before them, and Neimi and Colm had just returned from their inside investigation. They were still drawing a map of the field for the moment.

“You don’t have to fight. I know Prince Lyon is dear to you,” Innes told her.

“No, I’m fighting. We’ve got to get to him, and I don’t think we should fight him now anyway. If either of you can manage it, fine, but he was skilled with elder magic- I want Artur and Lute at the ready when the time comes for the real battle,” Eirika explained. Innes stared at Eirika.

“…Innes, I am stating fact. Besides, we don’t even know if Lyon is doing this willingly,” Eirika stated. Innes looked down in shame, and Neimi called an assembly. She had drawn a few routes through Presea, but each would be long and circuitous. The castle was designed for an hermit, after all.

* * *

Ismaire’s sword was running out of strength. She had been fighting Grado soldiers when she returned to her throne room for respite, when Carlyle, her most trusted commander, ambushed her- and his Wind Sword was fully charged.

“Carlyle…” Ismaire muttered.

“Ismaire, lay down your sword! I promise you that no harm will come to you while I’m in charge,” Carlyle told her. Ismaire spat.

“You honestly expect me to believe that?” Ismaire asked, rage in her eyes.

“Of course I do. Ismaire, for twenty long years I have harboured feelings for  you, feelings that I know should be wrong… but Cethelreda was right. Why shouldn’t I be able to claim your hand now that Abraham is dead?” Carlyle asked.

“Because I have considered you a brother and a friend before a potential lover? Because the memories of Abraham and the loss of Jhosua outweigh your petty desires of attraction?” Ismaire asked. Carlyle groaned.

“So the queen shows her true colours… Ismaire, I had hoped only for our happiness… but it seems we must both concede a little for this relationship to work,” Carlyle explained. Ismaire raised an eyebrow.

“And I suppose you expect you just won favour with that remark. Carlyle, if you’ll start thinking, you’ll realise that your conduct is hardly befitting of a Jehannan knight…” Ismaire remarked.

“But a Grado one… he’ll fit right in,” a familiar drawl sounded. Ismaire and Carlyle turned, and saw Cethelreda strut into the room, his axe over his shoulder. A timid boy stood behind him, his regal air the only thing that gave Ismaire second thoughts about him.

“Cethelreda…” Carlyle remarked.

“My god, Carlyle! How many times do I have to tell you? My name is  _ CAELLACH! _ ” Cethelreda growled.

“You’ll find that shedding your name does not shed you of your Jehannan roots. Only a coward has anything to hide,” Ismaire stated simply.

“Don’t talk down to me, Ismaire. Lyon’s been having issues double-fronting, and he can’t find the Sacred Stone. So I’m going to need to have Ismaire pick it out for me,” Cethelreda explained. Ismaire considered her options. She was surprised to realise suicide had a startling number of pros to very few cons, but some of her other options retained enough appeal for her to hold off on that. She highly expected she would not see today’s dusk anyway- spiting Jehannan traitors seemed as good a use of her death as any.

“Cethelreda, if you harm my Ismaire…” Carlyle growled.

“I’m… oh, stuff it. Carlyle, Princess Eirika is marching on Presea. If you defeat her and her blasted retainers, I promise you that Ismaire will be yours. Fail…” Cethelreda responded. Ismaire growled, but held her blade. She did not know what Carlyle would do if he saw her commit suicide, but he did not want to risk undue harm on the foreigners. Best leave it so that Cethelreda could be blamed.

“I don’t know why you expect I’ll tell you which one’s the Sacred Stone, but I’ll humour you a little,” Ismaire told him. Cethelreda growled, but Ismaire knew she wasn’t getting options anyway- they needed her to find the Stone.

“Carlyle… don’t kill Eirika… stay…” the boy muttered. Carlyle jumped- he had forgotten him.

“Prince Lyon, are you well?” Cethelreda asked. Lyon shook himself, and a more depraved expression took over his face.

“It was a passing cold. I hate being so close to Eirika- my body hungers for her. Forgive me, Caellach, but I might need a moment to recompose myself. I trust you will be able to recover the Sacred Stone correctly?” Lyon asked.

“…Of course, my lord,” Cethelreda sighed. Lyon vanished, and Cethelreda muttered something far less flattering. He departed the room, dragging Ismaire with him, while Carlyle was left trying to piece together just what he was getting into. Whatever he was going to do about the Grado forces, Eirika’s forces… and then there was Ismaire…

For a moment, Carlyle let a flicker of doubt cross his mind.

* * *

Eirika didn’t realise what a problem dividing her forces was until she had done so. Due to how thinly she had to stretch her own numbers, the groups were quickly swallowed up as Neimi’s girls, Syrene’s pegasi and Rausten’s mages. None of the groups were really built for surviving concentrated attacks, but the combined forces of Grado and Jehanna meant that they were suffering those. Seth and Innes were making their mark, but there were only two of them, and that wasn’t enough for every group. Seth was holding the pegasus team together at the seams, and Innes had Neimi’s platoon shaping up. Rausten was most at ease with the circumstances, so it was nice that they weren’t concerned

_ Where was Joshua? _

The thought occurred to Eirika quickly, and she did a quick count. She found everyone relatively easily, considering the walls, but Joshua, and to a lesser extent Natasha, had disappeared. Eirika quickly called for a healer from Rausten to join the pegasus knights, while she considered what was going on. True, Joshua was Jehannan, but she did not expect him to turn traitor…

Horse hooves distracted her from her concern, and she turned to face the cavalry that approached. Her rapier jumped from her scabbard, and she began thrusting through horses. Each time she killed, she jumped around the corpse to try and keep the enemy off balance. The desert sand was doing a good job, but every advantage counted: she did  _ not _ have a healer on hand.

_ “Aura of Latona, smite those who seek Eirika harm!”  _ L’Arachel casted. Eirika revised her remark- she had a healer who would be more of a hindrance. Her magic had failed her again, and now enemies were targeting L’Arachel instead of her. She had to get creative to fix this.

First thing was first, she threw her rapier at the cavalier approaching L’Arachel. Either chance or L’Arachel’s magic let it kill its target, but that left Eirika with the problem of countering the enemies now rushing at her. She jumped over the head of the nearest cavalier, landing on the horse facing the rider. She smiled girlishly, sending the cavalier off guard, before pushing him off the horse. She grabbed the rider’s lance, and started thrusting. She was not striking near her target, but by intentionally aiming slightly off her target, she could account for that and slightly increase her accuracy. She turned to the last pair of cavaliers, both of whom were readying their javelins at once. Eirika tossed her lance at one at random, preparing to duck.

Surprisingly, her rapier found itself in the other cavalier.

“Ignore me at your peril, fools…” L’Arachel stated, returning Eirika’s rapier. Eirika smiled, hoping that would be the end of her fight.

* * *

Joshua kicked open the throne room doors, and looked around. The only one there was General Carlyle. Natasha followed him uncertainly, somewhat worried about him.

“Hello there. Who might you be?” Carlyle asked.

“My name is Jhosua Emryson. Name should sound familiar,” Joshua told him. Carlyle grinned.

“Anyone could claim to be that prince,” Carlyle claimed. Natasha looked at Joshua in shock.

“Perhaps you’d be interested in seeing the dance of my blade? I don’t know if it’s proof enough, but it might kill you before you have the chance to care,” Joshua remarked, before jumping forward. Joshua prepared a strike at Carlyle, but Carlyle easily parried with his Wind Sword. The two swords danced in and out in rhythm- the Killing Edge aiming for Carlyle’s weaknesses, the Wind Sword cleaving massive blows at Joshua’s sides. Natasha raised her staff half-heartedly, but a blast of wind being shot her way instead of Joshua’s convinced her otherwise. She had to try and think of an option to bail Joshua out. Joshua was shoved back to the ground, and Carlyle stepped forward. The Wind Sword looked dead and heavy to lift, but Carlyle did so anyway.

“Ismaire never has to know her son has returned…” Carlyle taunted.

“But she will.  _ Divine Eizariya, smite this usurper!”  _ Natasha yelled. Even with the early taunt, Carlyle was too slow to dodge Natasha’s spell. He dropped to the ground, and Natasha began casting healing spells. She thought she saw a twitch in Carlyle, so she moved the Wind Sword further away.

“Natasha… I…” Joshua started.

“Joshua, I know why you kept this from me. I’m not mad… just scared,” Natasha assured him. Far from calming down her patient, the assurance seemed to tense Joshua up.

“Are you all…” Joshua started.

“I’ll leave that for after  _ you’re  _ cured, Jhosua,” Natasha scolded. Joshua nodded, and turned to take another look at Carlyle. He didn’t twitch again.

* * *

Cethelreda led Ismaire to the Sacred Stone’s resting place. The chamber in which the statues of Emrys and Presea were kept along with their weapons was lined with identical  stones, each with its own enchantment. Some enchantments had no practical effects in a vacuum, but without help, it would be difficult for an outsider to divine which was the Sacred Stone. Of course, the knowledge of which one was a Sacred Stone was kept inside the Emryson line- and without Jhosua, Ismaire was the only living soul who knew.

“So which is it? That one? That one? Or maybe it’s that one…” Cethelreda asked.

“I would rather die than tell you,” Ismaire taunted.

“Gr… figured as much. If only I could satisfy that desire…” Cethelreda muttered. Ismaire, struck by an idea, grabbed Presea’s Ice Blade Audhulma, and started swinging. Cethelreda began parrying with his axe, concerned. Not for himself- his Hoplon Guard did a good job of keeping himself safe from Ismaire. What he was worried about was killing her- and losing the Stone.

“That one? Or that one?” Cethelreda growled, trying to get Ismaire to react. Trying to outsmart a long-dead hermit was trickier than it appeared…

“I’m sorry, Cethelreda. But that’s a Emryson family secret. One I’ll take to the grave,” Ismaire remarked. Before Cethelreda could react, Ismaire had reversed her grip on Audhulma, and thrust it into her own stomach.

“Foolish wench…” Cethelreda growled, before turning to the wall. He grabbed a Stone at random, and crushed it. Glass shards dug into the palms of his hands and some odd kind of magic burst over his chest, and Cethelreda quickly realised trial and error was going to end in disaster.

“…I bet you’re laughing at me, Emrys. We’ll see who’s laughing soon…” Cethelreda growled, leaving the room.

* * *

Eirika looked around Jehanna’s halls. A sudden order had caused the Grado soldiers to retreat, and the Jehannan ones had largely fallen in line with Eirika’s own army somewhere along the line. They mentioned something about ‘the prince has returned’. Eirika just wanted to try and find that prince when she encountered Lyon in the halls.

“Prince Lyon?” Eirika asked. Lyon looked up, and quickly brushed aside the locks of his hair nervously.

“Princess Eirika?” Lyon muttered.

“Lyon… what happened? What went wrong between our nations?” Eirika asked. Lyon gave a rueful smirk.

“The invasion happened the way it did because I was too weak to stop it. Eirika… you are a gem beyond price. I did not want to cause you so much pain. But… there’s something more…” Lyon explained. Eirika beamed.

“Don’t worry, Lyon… I’m sure Ephraim will have Vigarde sorted in no time. And then we can get everything back to the way it was,” Eirika told him. Lyon gave a nervous chuckle, and vanished. A shiver passed over Eirika’s spine, and she suddenly had a thought of Lyon leading a charge alongside monsters. Shaking her head, she looked up and smiled at L’Arachel.

“We’ve found Ismaire… and there’s a lot of stuff going down,” L’Arachel explained.

“I suppose it’ll be best explained by seeing?” Eirika asked, to L’Arachel’s nod. Eirika allowed herself to be escorted by L’Arachel to Ismaire, still thinking about Lyon.

* * *

Joshua and Natasha arrived in the Sacred Stone’s Chamber, and looked around. The Sacred Stone was still safe- the glass shards on the floor could only have come from a forgery. Emrys still had Excalibur in his hands, but Presea had lost Audhulma. Joshua looked around the room, and saw Audhulma in Ismaire’s hands. It was coated with blood, and Joshua spotted a sword wound in her chest.

“Mother…” Joshua remarked.

“Jhosua… I’m sorry…” Ismaire started.

“No, Mother. I am sorry. My decision to leave Presea and journey the world an anonymous mercenary was selfish… if I had been here, you mightn’t have died…” Joshua told her.

“No, Jhosua… you would have known which is the Sacred Stone, and Cethelreda would have used one of us as a bartering chip for the other,” Ismaire pointed out. Joshua gasped.

“So it’s true… Cethelreda is with Grado. I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised…” Joshua stated. Ismaire gasped.

“Hold still… let me heal you,” Natasha remarked, getting on her knees and holding her staff out.

“No… I’m too far gone. Audhulma has tasted the blood of its own wielder’s kin. You…” Ismaire started.

“My name is Natasha. I’m Josh… Jhosua’s girlfriend,” Natasha told her. Joshua looked up, surprised.

“Really… it was nice to meet you… Natasha Emryson. The Sacred Stone… Emrys and Presea are staring at the same stone. The Sacred Stone is… the one five stones to its left. Take it or leave it, the choice is yours… but know that to take it is to risk losing it,” Ismaire told her. Natasha blushed.

“…I understand, Mother,” Joshua remarked.

“Jhosua… take them. Take Emrys’s Swift Wind Excalibur… and Presea’s Ice Blade Audhulma. You will need everything you can get… to defeat that vile… and bring Jehanna to a new golden age…” Ismaire muttered.

“…Thank you, Mother,” Joshua told her, smiling. Ismaire smiled, too, before closing her eyes and dying. Joshua turned around, to see Eirika, Innes and L’Arachel standing in wait.

“…I left Jehanna because I wanted to see the world. I wanted to know what the common people had to say- and I was tired of the formality of palace life. It might have been rebellion… now it occurs to me, it almost definitely was. I must’ve been a fool to abandon my mother for my own selfish desires. If it weren’t for the fact that I at least met Natasha out of that, I’d say that was the greatest mistake of my life,” Joshua remarked.

“Joshua…” Natasha said, blushing.

“I learned a lot these past ten years. I am confident that, with Natasha’s help, I can usher in a new age for Jehanna. I lost much to gain that, but that’s a loss I’m willing to accept,” Joshua stated.

“Joshua… Prince Jhosua… I have a message for the Queen of Jehanna from Frelia…” Innes remarked. Joshua and Natasha chuckled.

“Well, I don’t know how long it’ll be until the wedding, but I guess I can take it,” Natasha laughed, getting a chortle out of Eirika, L’Arachel and Innes.

“Renais, Frelia, Jehanna and Rausten working together…” Joshua said a little more seriously.

“All we need is to figure out what Lyon’s deal is and then we’ll have all five royal lines!” Eirika exclaimed.

“Marinsdatter, Sivardson, MacDethyl, Emryson and Latonase all working as one…” L’Arachel observed.

“A lofty goal, all right… but do I smell smoke?” Innes asked. Everyone raised an eyebrow, before sniffing as well.

“…Fire,” everyone gasped.

* * *

The winding paths worked against Eirika and her party once more as they fled the burning Presea. Joshua opened a few shortcuts, but fire still tickled at the fringes of their equipment. They reached the outside of Presea, and left the firefighting to the Jehannan soldiers.

“Neimi, what’s our status?” Eirika asked.

“The curtains were doused in oil. No doubt this was a trap of some description, though to what purpose is still being investigated,” Neimi reported.

“…Cethelreda wanted to make sure the Sacred Stone was destroyed,” Joshua stated. He pulled it out to show everyone it was safe, before putting it back in his pocket.

“In other news, we’re surrounded. Caellach and Valter both have a welcoming committee at the ready,” Colm pointed out. Eirika, Innes and L’Arachel looked around.

“…Well, darn. Who’s ready to fight?” Eirika asked, looking around at her party.

“Quite a few of our number are still nursing wounds from our battle with Jehanna,” Neimi told her. Eirika growled.

“Any good news?” Eirika asked, afraid of the answer. Joshua stepped onto the desert sand, Natasha standing beside him.

“I am the Prince of Jehanna. I do not fear the desert sands as Grado does. Cethelreda and Valter will learn to fear us before we recover,” Joshua stated proudly.

“May Eizariya and Emrys watch over us…” Natasha followed, pulling out her staff.


	20. Attack on Gormlaithe

_ The capital of Grado, Gormlaithe, lies before the Grado Liberation Army. Fluorspar Selena. Sunstone Glen. King Fado. These are just some of the people that Grado’s war has killed before their time. Prince Ephraim knows Emperor Vigarde was once a kind soul, and even now, the invasion of Renais and ensuing war was not made on Vigarde’s say-so… but there was no two ways about it. Either Ephraim or Vigarde was going to die today. _

* * *

 

“And so, after a long battle, Marin held up her Sacred Stone, and focused with all her might. Sivard, Dethyl, Emrys and Latona joined her in spirit, even if they could not in body, as she pulled the Demon King into the Stone. The Stone of Grado has since come to be known as the Fire Emblem, and with Emrys’s charm on the others, the Demon King’s true might could not be returned to the world so long as a single Stone remained. The five Sacred Stones are housed in the five countries the Heroes founded, each in a manner befitting their respective Hero,” Lyon finished explaining to Ephraim.

“The Five Heroes must’ve been really powerful… to have held on against the Demon King like that. I couldn’t imagine Sivard taking that kind of punishment and surviving,” Ephraim remarked.

“You’d be surprised… common consensus amongst historians is that Sivard was extremely hardy. It’s definitely obvious you’ve inherited his immense inner strength,” Lyon explained, to Ephraim’s embarrassment.

“It’s so… strange, though. Whenever Father MacGregor makes me read those books… I get bored. Too many words, and they don’t move. But when you explain it, you leave me hanging onto your every word. You’re an amazing teacher, Lyon,” Ephraim stated. It was Lyon’s turn to blush.

“Yeah, strange… Ephraim? Can you teach me the lance? It’s just… whenever I spar with Eirika, she reminds me of what I lack. Grado’s Emperor should be strong like Marin, right?” Lyon told him.

“I believe you should be true to yourself, and not to some idealised image of a ruler. However, if it means that much to you, of course I’ll teach you to spar. I’m not going to go easy on you, though- Eirika was a fast learner, and there’s no way you’ll ever beat her without some serious dedication,” Ephraim told him.

“It’s a deal…” Lyon agreed, thinking about what that meant.

Ephraim gave a weak smile. Lyon was certainly no Marin, but as far as Ephraim was concerned, he was close enough. Certainly as close as a boy who used elder magic could be to a girl who used axes and lived hundreds of years before him.

“Whatcha thinking about, Ephraim?” Tana asked. Ephraim smiled again. While he was thinking about the Five Heroes, he smiled at the thought of Tana being so much like the charismatic, energetic Dethyl.

“Just us and the Five Heroes,” Ephraim stated simply, idly wondering what Jehanna and Rausten’s heirs would be like. He wondered if Jehanna would be a reclusive prodigy like Emrys and Rausten would be a gentle healer like Latona. Tana spluttered.

“Do you really think I’ll be remembered in the same breath as someone like one of the Five Heroes?” Tana asked.

“Dethyl was just like you, wasn’t she?” Ephraim asked in return. Tana tilted her head in confusion.

“Dethyl… you know, Dethyl Renais? The pegasus knight who fought alongside her brother Sivard just as eagerly as you fight alongside me?” Ephraim asked. Tana let in a sharp intake of breath.

“Sivard and Dethyl were brother and sister?” Tana asked in horror. Ephraim raised an eyebrow, before realising the cause of her concern.

“It shouldn’t matter to us. They are so much older than us, and really, if you trace genealogy back far enough, you can find relations between anyone,” Ephraim assured her. Tana nodded- but the fact she didn’t hug him before she went back to check on Achaeus and the other pegasus knights was telling.

* * *

Ephraim’s army was preparing an assault on Gormlaithe, the very words sounding just as serious as the situation was. Despite Lute’s prior reservations about granting Ewan more magic at an unnatural pace, she could be seen running around the army granting last-minute class changes to many of her soldiers, including the core of the army serving Ephraim. Franz had yet to be asked if he wished to join in, for which he was actually grateful- he was not yet sure whether he wanted to be a Paladin, like the Silver Knight Seth, or a Great Knight, like the Obsidian Duessel. Not helping matters was that both classes seemed easy to achieve with dedicated practice. He looked up, and noticed Amelia stumbling around.

“Are you OK there?” Franz asked. Amelia nodded, readjusting her armour. Franz knew that, similar to her friends Ross and Ewan, she had asked for a little more out of Lute’s magic than just sticking to their classes. In Amelia’s case, she had asked for the mobility of paladins while being able to keep a firm hold on an axe.

“Yeah, just fine… what about you? You’re not class changing?” Amelia asked. Franz shrugged.

“I don’t know which one I want,” Franz remarked. Amelia giggled. She knew that a paladin with axes was basically circumventing the entire system, but since Franz had never touched an axe while she had some practice with Ross, she suspected that option was out.

“Why are you conflicted?” Amelia asked.

“…I have two idols, both in different classes. In addition, my brother died long before he considered class changing, so I don’t know what he would have wanted,” Franz told her. Amelia let out a cough.

“…You know, Lute thinks the choice of class for a cavalier is based in part on the person’s innate strength over any tactical advantage. It was actually her idea to make me a paladin- apparently, my style of fighting is more suited to that. She said that particularly speedy soldiers prefer the fluidity of paladins, while those that prefer strength find themselves at home as a great knight,” Amelia told him. Franz thought back to both Seth and Duessel. While Seth fought somewhat like how Amelia described great knights while they fought together, Franz could tell it wasn’t his normal style. Fighting with less experienced men and his devotion to Eirika put him on more of a defensive than expected.

“…Thank you, Amelia. I have a lot to think about, and not a lot of time to do it- when we get to Gormlaithe, it’ll be too late to class change and be useful,” Franz told her.

“The cavalry won’t be as useful in the castle proper anyway. Even Tana will have to fight on foot,” Amelia pointed out. Franz nodded at the thought- perhaps his concern could stand to wait for a few more battles.

* * *

Gormlaithe Keep stood before them impressively. There was a town associated with the capital, but the castle’s main gate did not open into it. According to Lyon, this was so attackers would not pass through the town to begin their assault. Of course, Ephraim and his soldiers would not hurt the civilians- he guessed some of the Grado soldiers had families or friends there- but a less scrupulous attacker would. Besides, his preparations would hardly be comforting to hear. The army had set up a base camp- Tana and the pegasi would be doing some scouting before they had a plan of attack ready. Prince Ephraim stepped up before his men.

“Soldiers of Grado, lend me your ears!” he called. Everyone put down what they were doing, and turned to face Ephraim.

“Everyone here has made a difficult choice in following me. Turning tail on your own country is not a decision to be made lightly- the reasons nagging at you for following a Renais prince instead of your own Emperor are the same reasons that stop me from taking General Duessel’s offer to take Vigarde’s throne when I have removed him from it. I want to assure everyone here that what I do, I do not do for any tangible benefit. I do not want to be the Emperor of Grado. I do not want to annex Grado into Renais. Grado was a beautiful country before the war- I want to help you make it that way again. Remember- though you fight your friends today, you fight for them. Vigarde is our top priority, with Delphine shortly behind. Don’t kill unless it is absolutely necessary. I fight for a free Grado!” Ephraim orated.

“I fight for a free Grado!” Finn started. The Grado soldiers added their voices to the din. They stopped when the pegasus knights returned- and Ephraim could clearly see an absence.

“Where’s Tana?” Ephraim asked.

“…Prince Lyon was on the balcony. Princess Tana approached him, but I don’t know how the conversation went… only that she followed him into Grado Keep,” one of the pegasus knights reported. Ephraim gripped the Reginleif.

“Sir!” a Grado soldier called. Ephraim turned, finding himself unable to pick out the speaker. While this demonstrated some callousness on his part, it helped him imagine what he heard to be the opinion of his entire army.

“We understand your concern for Princess Tana.”

“The Whitewing is fearsome to her enemies, but gentle to her allies.”

“Allow us to advance, and we shall recover her!”

“Grado should never have sunk as low as kidnapping a princess!”

Ephraim smiled. It was a genuine, proud smile. Grado had learned that their worst nightmare, his own lover, had been captured by Grado, and rather than rejoice, they were ready to rescue her. Granted, he knew there were extenuating circumstances today, but he had convinced the common people to ignore an easy scapegoat in order to target the root- Ephraim found that achievement enough.

“We are standing by and await your order, Ephraim,” Duessel boomed. Ephraim looked up at Gormlaithe.

“…Duessel, the cavalry must stand back while the infantry take to the field. This is not the battle for horses. Men, we make our march quickly- I must get to Vigarde as quickly as possible. Artur, don’t set up a base camp. Grado soldiers… I am starting to wish we got you different colour armour or something to mark you friend from foe. But I believe we can use this. Ross, Marisa and the mages are the only infantry not wearing Grado armour… promote unity where possible. With that said…” Ephraim explained, trailing off to hear the words from someone else.

“The men at Gormlaithe are loyal to Vigarde- and scared of Delphine,” Duessel observed.

“Do not let unity get in the way of your survival,” Cormag added. The Grado soldiers let out their answering yell, before Ephraim called the order to begin their assault.

* * *

Tana looked around the throne room- it was large enough for a duel to take place. From the fact that Vigarde stood with Marin’s own axe Garm at the ready, it seemed obvious that there would be a duel occurring here. Tana wondered why- Lyon had seemed eager for diplomacy earlier.

“Vigarde… Sivardson will be coming for his wife. You are to kill him, and call upon Delphine when you have done so. She is laying low at the moment, so she won’t hex you for it,” Lyon told him. Tana looked up.

“You lied to me,” Tana stated simply, her sword drawn. Lyon chuckled.

“I know you suspected Vigarde was dead. It was your foolishness that brought you here. I have business to conduct elsewhere, so I will sadly miss your precious Sivardson’s efforts… but there’s no reason I can’t make things interesting,” Lyon remarked. He shot a blast at the door, and Tana heard an odd clicking sound. She also noticed that Lyon looked far more sinister than normal.

“And how do you intend on doing that?” Tana asked.

“That door has been sealed so that only a descendant of Sivardson can open it. I’m interested in seeing what you do with Vigarde while you wait for him, so I’m not going to restrain you in any way. Anyway, I hope you die putting up a good fight,” Lyon remarked, disappearing. Tana wondered vaguely whether that was his twisted version of a goodbye, before looking around. Vigarde was standing silently at the ready, not even glancing in her direction- not like he had the capacity to care. Tana contented herself with looking around, her eyes lighting up on some notes. She didn’t want to test it yet, but if she was a distant niece of Sivard through Dethyl, she could open the door, and then she could proudly say Lyon’s efforts had been counterproductive.

But her eyes lit up on reading the start of the notes she had found, and she decided any concern over Ephraim and her lineage could wait.

* * *

Cormag landed in Gormlaithe’s courtyard, and let Genarog loose. His screech scared several Grado soldiers away long enough for Cormag to order a swish of the tail that just so happened to drop the portcullis. He returned to the sky, allowing the infantry to spew forward. Ephraim, Lute and Artur wasted no time in marching on the throne room, while everyone else began a more thorough establishment of control of the castle. Cormag returned to the ground, as a small force of cavalry, led by Duessel, took the reins of the courtyard. He and Duessel turned to the statue in the centre.

“That’s definitely new,” Cormag observed.

“We both left Gormlaithe at the same time… but I agree. That was erected rather quickly,” Duessel replied. The statue depicted General Selena- her pose showed her as a gentle woman, rather than a hardened warrior. Duessel’s eyebrows knitted together, and he stepped closer. The statue seemed so lifelike… down to a nick he remembered seeing on her arm. It was very small, and should have faded by now- it had been caused before the war started.

“That’s either a really dedicated sculptor, or this is actually Selena,” Duessel observed.

“…Don’t be ridiculous, Duessel. I don’t doubt Delphine could do it, but why would she?” Cormag asked. Duessel moved to face Selena’s face. The eyes were frozen as stone, like the rest of her body, and Duessel could not catch any emotion from it. He pulled off a gauntlet, and touched Selena’s hand. The general warmth of stone left in the sun came back to him.

“Hm… I can’t tell. Nevertheless, warn the men to be cautious around the statue- we don’t want it breaking,” Duessel told him. Cormag nodded, somewhat put off by the idea of someone being turned to stone, but not ultimately caring while there remained a battle to fight.

* * *

Marisa broke away from the party when she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. She followed without Ephraim being any the wiser, slipping from shadow to shadow as the figure before her appeared to be doing. The figure stopped outside Grado’s treasury, and opened the door. The sudden light bathed the figure in illumination, revealing a man wearing an expensive-looking jacket and a rather ornamental knife. Despite initial misgivings, the rogue’s glance was anything but out of his element.

“Hold,” Marisa’s voice called. It was hardly loud, but the rogue heard.

“You’re an odd one…” the rogue muttered, before thrusting forward with his knife. Marisa drew her sword, parried the blow, and knocked the knife away in one movement.

“I know. Who are you?” Marisa asked.

“Hm… name’s Rennac. I suppose I’m a free agent now, but after my last job, there’s no way I’m joining just anyone,” the rogue told her. Marisa nodded.

“I serve Gerik,” Marisa told him. Rennac’s jaw dropped.

“Gerik? You mean that Gerik?” Rennac asked.

“Yes. Why do you ask?” Marisa stated, wondering why Rennac seemed so interested.

“Gerik helped me out of a jam once upon a time. I suppose it’s about time I returned the favour. My lockpicks are yours,” Rennac told her, bowing his head.

“Thanks,” Marisa remarked, taking a set and getting started on looting from the treasury herself.

“…Don’t mention it,” Rennac reluctantly stated, before joining in. He knew Gerik would kill him if he hurt one of his own, so he found himself tolerating the strange swordswoman.

It helped that she was far more tolerable than L’Arachel could ever hope to be.

* * *

Ephraim, Artur and Lute stood before the doors to Vigarde’s throne room, nerves bubbling close to the surface. The thought of confronting the once-genial Emperor, no matter how much evidence that he was now anything but, remained hard to face. Lute, ever the logical one, reached out to open the door, only to have her hand zapped by an odd spell. Ephraim and Artur stepped back, as Lute studied the door. Artur noticed one hand on her wyvernstone- she was definitely looking at it magically rather than mundanely.

“I think I recognise that enchantment. It was designed to prevent access to anyone but descendants of a certain line. I think whoever’s on the other side of that door only wants to see you,” Lute told Ephraim. Ephraim let out an interested noise, and reached out for the doorknob cautiously. It turned, and the door opened from the inside.

“What took you so long, Ephraim?” Tana asked. Ephraim laughed.

“Should’ve known you would give Grado an earful,” Ephraim remarked.

“Yeah, I tried. Vigarde’s armour is a bit too heavy for me to fight. Be careful, he’s got Marin’s axe. Lute, Artur, he might not notice us- he swung at me, but the more I think of it, I don’t think he noticed I was in the way,” Tana explained. Ephraim and Lute shared a look, before Ephraim pulled out the Reginleif and stepped forward. Vigarde mobilised quickly for a man in heavy armour, and the duel between Garm and Reginleif began in earnest.

“But how did you open the door?” Lute asked. “That enchantment should’ve stopped anyone who wasn’t a descendant of Sivard.”

“Lute, Dethyl was Sivard’s sister. I guess that counts as far as that charm was concerned,” Tana observed.

“And you took that risk?” Artur asked.

“Hell no- I didn’t want to believe I’m related to Ephraim! It was only the racket  you lot were making that made me forget that!” Tana yelled. Lute and Artur held up their hands calmly, before looking around her at the duel.

It had only been a short conversation, but Tana was surprised at how much blood and sweat the two men had gained in the intervening time. Tana watched in fear as Ephraim stabbed Vigarde. The wound was not at all debilitating for the Emperor, as the Reginleif came out and dust began pouring out of the wound instead of blood. Not only was it now blatantly obvious that Emperor Vigarde was nothing more than a literal puppet, but the fact that he didn’t bleed meant that all of the blood on the pair was Ephraim’s. She looked down at her sword, wondering what she could do, when Lute and Artur jumped into action.

_ “May you burn in the flames of Elfire!”  _ Lute called.

_ “Divine protection won’t save you now!”  _ Artur followed suit. The two spells blasted into Vigarde’s face. Ephraim jumped to one side, as Vigarde turned to the mages. His eyes were impassive, but his charge was just as scary as one made with pure fury. Tana knew she had to act quickly, before Garm claimed one of the mages.

She stepped forward, and drove her sword into the wound Ephraim made. She held furiously, as Garm began a descent on her. Lute and Artur hurriedly cast spells that slowed its descent, but she had to hurry. She pushed as hard as she could, her blow having to be as lethal as possible to a man who had already died, as Garm came closer and closer to her own back…

Ephraim charged forward, thrusting his lance in between Tana and Garm. Garm bit into Reginleif, and Ephraim twisted. Vigarde, with the quickly widening wound in his chest, found himself letting go of Garm, the axe dropping harmlessly to the ground, Ephraim’s trusty lance falling uselessly beside it. Without the influence of Garm, Tana’s sword finished cleaving Vigarde’s body in two. The vastly weakened corpse dissolved into dust before his top half hit the ground. Ephraim looked at Tana proudly for a good long while, a look that Tana was happy to share.

“…Sorry about your lance,” Tana finally broke the silence.

“It served me well. I’m just happy it wasn’t your back,” Ephraim replied. Tana blushed, and Artur and Lute wondered vaguely if they should offer the pair some privacy.

Of course, they were spared that by the appearance of Lyon.

“I knew you’d beat that Servant, even if he did have that cursed axe,” Lyon remarked.

“Lyon…” Ephraim muttered. Tana still had a hand on her sword. She had only a shadow of a doubt that Lyon was about to reveal dark designs.

“Ephraim Sivardson. What a fool you’ve been… you’ve believed you’ve befriended the poor, weak Prince of Grado. The very idea of a Marinsdatter without the power of their namesake makes even me shake my head in disbelief. Yet you and that foolish sister of yours swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Your arrogance won’t go unpunished forever…” Lyon remarked.

“Tee hee. I’m going to stop you right there, Lyon Marinsdatter. You’re clearly trying to pick a fight. Yet Ephraim doesn’t have a lance as backup- if you want one, Ephraim’s not going to rise to the bait. Well, he might punch you, but I’d like to think he won’t pick a fight with that horrible of odds,” Tana told him. Her sword remained sheathed- she wanted to prove she wasn’t starting a fight in Ephraim’s stead.

“Tana MacDethyl… curses. Why does every single one of them have to be running around again? No matter… I’ll have to be a little more circumspect in the future. Massacring you now does have its advantages, and not a single disadvantage, as far as I know… I would finally be rid of perfect,  _ perfect _ Ephraim. Alas, you have inherited Sivard’s uncanny ability to walk out of any trap alive and ready for more, and if I remained to try and kill one of you personally, the other would kill me in return. If I had been a bit more prepared, I might have been able to avoid a bloody nose, but no matter. The Sacred Stones are more important. Even with your interfering, Emrys, I doubt you’d be able to reproduce that particular enchantment,” Lyon remarked, vanishing.

“He’s got a Sacred Stone on the ropes…” Lute remarked. Artur was looking at her in a new light, but Lute was ignoring that. Tana and Ephraim, on the other hand, were a tad more worried. Lyon had a plan. And he didn’t care whether everything fell into place.

* * *

Ephraim and Tana were still puzzling together what plans Lyon might have when Finn peeked into the room. Ephraim waved him in, and he came accompanied by a man dressed in a shaman’s robes. He kept his head down, and from the face Tana could pick out, he seemed pained by memories. Finn stepped back, and excused himself to handle the Grado soldiers.

“Has my execution been moved up the schedule?” the shaman asked.

“Execution? Grado actually executes people? I thought that was just a nasty rumour!” Tana exclaimed. Ephraim chuckled.

“Relax. My name is Ephraim, and in the absence of a Marinsdatter that is not a cackling evil mastermind, I will be assuming the title of Regent of Grado until a suitable replacement can be found. This is Tana, my most trusted ally and future wife. May I ask your name and ‘crime’?” Ephraim explained.

“Very well, Regent. My name is Knoll, and I am a researcher on arcane matters. I was one of the men Lyon had chosen to assist him in the ‘Doubleye’ Project. I am the only one who is not dead. Lyon intended to change that fact before he got distracted chasing down you lot. I’ve never in my life felt luckier,” Knoll explained.

“So what’s the matter with Lyon?” Ephraim asked. Knoll closed his eyes.

“You don’t have to-” Tana started, but Knoll was prepared to explain.

“Emperor Vigarde died one year ago. It was to an illness- I confirmed as much myself. Lyon was also terribly upset, conflicted at whether he could manage the rule over his country without his father. That should be proof enough that it was not a coup. Lyon was determined, however… he had studied the effects of the Fire Emblem. The Demon King’s soul resides within it… or should I say resided? At any rate… Lyon devoted every waking moment, and several moments he ought to have slept, to unlocking the method to reverse Vigarde’s death before it became public. When one day…

Knoll walked into the room, and saw Lyon speaking gently to Vigarde’s corpse. He was ready to dismiss the sight as unimportant- Lyon had done it plenty over the course of the Doubleye Project’s life- before he noticed that Vigarde was standing.

“Prince Lyon?” Knoll asked curiously. Lyon turned to him.

“You’re one of the researchers… Knoll, I believe. Excellent… let me show you something,” Lyon remarked. He squeezed Vigarde’s hand.

“Greetings to you, Knoll. Thank you for helping my son,” Vigarde stated. Knoll’s jaw dropped.

“It worked…” Knoll remarked. Lyon nodded, a wicked glint in his eye. He held out two stones. Knoll took a moment to shoot the second stone a second glance.

“Prince Lyon?” Knoll asked.

“This is the Dark Stone… this is the object that brought about Vigarde’s return to life. Could you imagine what else it could do? Next to that… this bauble of Marin’s seems so… useless,” Lyon remarked. He set down the Dark Stone, and held the Sacred Stone, the Fire Emblem, in both hands in front of him. By the time Knoll had realised what Lyon intended, Lyon had crushed the Fire Emblem in his palms, and it descended into dust.

“Prince Lyon…” Knoll muttered.

“They are in the way. Marin. Sivard. Dethyl. Emrys. Latona. Their legacies stagnate our world… all we need is the power of the Dark Stone,” Lyon remarked.

“…It only went downhill from there. Father MacGregor and the other researchers on the Doubleye Project were executed, one by one. Renais was invaded- and from Lyon’s mutterings, his obsession with snuffing out the Sivardson family tree did not extend to Eirika,” Knoll explained. Ephraim and Tana shared a horrified glance.

“He did what?” Tana asked.

“…Lyon is my friend. His crush on Eirika is as innocent as Tana’s crush on me. He can be saved… there is some Lyon left in him…” Ephraim muttered. Everyone in the room knew that Ephraim didn’t believe it- but they also nursed the hope that he was right.

“At any rate…” Knoll remarked. He picked up Garm, and gestured for Ephraim and Tana to follow him. Artur and Lute did so out of habit and caution.

* * *

Knoll led the group to a side room, opening it with an odd charm. Standing within it were two statues, one depicting a woman, and the other depicting what appeared to be a man. The latter was shrouded by shadow, even with the door wide open.

“What is this place?” Tana asked.

“This is where the Sacred Twins of Grado are stored. The Black Axe, Garm, was taken by Lyon to fight you lot with. The Dark Tome, Gleipnir, should still be here…” Knoll remarked. He approached the shadowed statue, and pulled the tome from his grasp.

“It was. Garm was the axe wielded by Marin herself- it is said that the axe lent agility to its wielder. Gleipnir is the dark tome wielded by the enigmatic Gormlaith, a druid who even those well versed in the lore of the Five Heroes know little about. His role in the battle against the Demon King is unmentioned in most scrolls from the time- we only know his name because I found a scroll fragment that had it amongst some of the other scrolls Marin left, alongside the name Gleipnir,” Knoll explained.

“Enough about Gormlaith. He’s long-dead: if he shows up, he’ll be on Lyon’s side regardless. And something tells me we won’t be seeing him summon anyone from that time period,” Ephraim told him. Knoll nodded.

“Right. Gleipnir has no prior reference from which to draw information about it, largely because of Gormlaith’s absence from records. I have been the only one versed in elder magic who has had access to it and wanted to try and study it- from my observations, it might hit slightly more often than what should be expected of the tome. At any rate, Gleipnir and Garm should be usable by anyone with a strong foundation in elder magic and axes, respectively,” Knoll finished his explanation.

“…So we can give them to anyone in our army?” Tana asked.

“Who can wield them properly. Only an experienced axeman should have Garm, and someone versed in elder magic should control Gleipnir,” Knoll repeated. Tana nodded, annoyed- she had expected that would be taken as obvious.

* * *

Ephraim looked over the village at the foot of Gormlaithe. He had taken the title of Regent of Grado in a moment of haste, but Duessel had taken his words to heart, addressing him as ‘Regent’ instead of Ephraim. Many of the Grado soldiers had adopted his example. Ephraim knew that there remained a dissenting faction to his actions…

“I’ll find them another Emperor…” Ephraim muttered. He looked up, and saw a Frelian messenger. He waved her in, wondering what could possibly require his attention.

“Prince Ephraim! Grado soldiers are closing in on Princess Eirika and Prince Innes in the Jehannan desert! Both the Tiger Eye and Moonstone are leading the forces!” the messenger explained.

“…Tana!” Ephraim called. Tana hastened to his side- she had been discussing something with Knoll, and had missed the message.

“What is it?” Tana asked, seeing the expression on Ephraim’s face.

“Eirika’s in danger… she’s in Jehanna, surrounded by the Tiger Eye and the Moonstone,” Ephraim explained.

“Knoll, spread the word- get everyone who’s not staying in Grado to mobilise,” Tana ordered. She needed no further urging.

“Princess Tana… Grado requires stabilisation,” Knoll stated.

“WE ARE AT WAR! Prince Lyon is still out there, and you’ll have to start all over again once we’ve fixed that! Eirika needs us NOW! And I don’t fancy having Seth and my brother’s blood on my hands!” Tana yelled. Knoll ran to get everyone ready.

“…You know, you could’ve just blamed him if they died,” Ephraim pointed out.

“Not the time to be making jokes about that. Make sure you remember to grab a lance,” Tana told him in the same ordering tone. Ephraim smirked as she ran to get her sword and pegasus, before running to get mobilised.

Truth be told, he didn’t fancy being too slow to save someone either.


	21. Scorched Endurance

_ Caellach found nothing but missteps within Presea, and ignited his trap. With Presea in flames and Eirika’s forces wounded and without refuge, the situation looks dire as both Caellach and Valter make their approach. Yet all is not lost. Prince Ephraim marches on Jehanna, his soldiers pushing as hard as they can to arrive before Eirika is lost. _

_ They can only pray they do not arrive too late. _

* * *

 

“Can you see Presea?” Ephraim called. Tana, from the back of a high-soaring pegasus, took her inspection.

“I think so. It’s a burning ruin, but unless we made a miscalculation, it should be where Presea once stood,” Tana responded.

“Presea has been overrun… blast!” Ephraim growled. He called for his army to double the pace. The cavalry were tremendously far behind, their horses dragged down by desert sand, while the sages Artur and Lute had no trouble keeping pace with Ephraim and Tana.

“Tana, don’t hold back your speed! Get to Eirika before she falls!” Ephraim called. Achaeus suddenly burst forward, and Ephraim knew Eirika was in the hands of Fate now.

“Do you have a plan, Ephraim?” Lute asked.

“I don’t know what the enemy forces look like… Artur, could you go ask Cormag to check?” Ephraim asked. Artur nodded, slowing down his pace to reach Cormag.

* * *

Eirika parried a berserker, and Seth lunged forward with the finishing strike. Moulder, L’Arachel and the Rausten healers were working as hard as they could to get everyone back to fighting strength, but everyone just wound up wounded as well once they reached the front lines. Eirika, Seth, Innes, Joshua and Natasha remained as mainstays on the front lines, and it was only with Natasha and the occasional L’Arachel that any of them managed to stay there.

“Princess Eirika…” Seth started.

“Seth, how are we going to get out of this one? Every direction leads to more enemies, we’re lucky to have a half of our forces working at any one time… I’m worried my rapier’s going to break before we’re done,” Eirika remarked. Seth nodded, looking down at his own sword. It would probably break after a few more rounds of combat, and as they were, they couldn’t expect to get it replaced.

“Seth… what will happen if we die?” Eirika asked. Seth jumped, not expecting a question that blunt.

“You’re not going to die, Eirika. The rest of us will, and it’ll be down to Ephraim and Tana to reconstruct in our absence. That is, if they can manage to beat Grado. From what you told me about Prince Lyon, I’ll expect you’ll be captured and given to him. As to what happens from there… I have no idea, and frankly, the idea scares me,” Seth told her. Eirika looked at the incoming wyvern.

“…I’m not getting captured. We will persevere…” Eirika exhaled, the desert’s many complications exhausting her. Sheer determination kept her at the ready.

* * *

Lyon appeared next to Caellach, wiping away the sweat at his brow nervously. Caellach chuckled.

“Not used to Jehanna’s deserts?” Caellach asked. Lyon nodded.

“I was just here to check on how the battlefield is going. Delphine’s been keeping me very busy, working on one of our other projects, but if things are going well here, it’ll all be worthwhile,” Lyon told him. Caellach smirked.

“I thought you had a thing for the princess of Renais?” Caellach asked.

“…Of course I do. I’d never dream of… Delphine, seriously? She’s too dangerous to form a relationship like that with. Eirika will always be the flower of my eye,” Lyon stuttered out. Caellach idly noticed Lyon’s convulsions as Eirika came in and out of the conversation, but disregarded them. The boy was still a little wet behind the ears.

“Just as long as I don’t get a faceful of the sappy stuff, I’m perfectly fine capturing her and handing her over. Truth be told, I’ll be very eager to have that overconfident tactician brought down a few pegs,” Caellach remarked. Lyon gave a weak chuckle.

“What of you? Do you have anyone you care about?” Lyon asked. Caellach shook his head.

“Once, I was good friends with a lad called Jhosua. He was a fool and a scoundrel, but he disappeared one day and left me feeling empty. I doubt he’s dead, but in the mercenary business, you could find your friends gone without fanfare. Makes it hard to make friends. I’m looking for a little more than that- I’m going to follow my axe all the way up the rungs of the Grado Empire,” Caellach laughed. Lyon laughed.

“You intend to kill me and take my place as Emperor, do you not? Motivation is motivation, and I assure you that I am not troubled by that news at all. Survive this battle and bring me the princess, and I’ll show you a retirement plan that cuts out all the problem areas,” Lyon remarked, disappearing.

“…Eh, too much work, trying to understand that guy. Do my job, and hopefully Princess Eirika will remember me at least,” Caellach remarked, his axe drawn, his eyes scanning Presea.

* * *

Valter smirked at the sight of Presea crumbling. Princess Eirika was fighting bravely, but her forces were dwindling, and she remained. Eirika was going to survive this encounter, and he was going to take her no matter what. Someone appeared beside him- Valter gave a brief look to confirm it was Riev.

“Valter. I have just divined unwelcome news. The Sivardson boy marches on Presea, and he’s bringing his entire army with him. Do you want assistance from the DDK?” Riev asked.

“Pathetic organisation. I will claim Eirika myself. Eirika will be the ultimate reward for me. And Me. Alone,” Valter growled. Riev smirked.

“All is well, then- Delphine’s been quite unpleasant and half of the rest don’t even respond when I try to contact them. Very well, Valter, I’ll leave you to it. Your magical enchantment seems to be destroying your brain, which hopefully means you’ll have the strength to claim your Eirika as you desire. Fight without regard for morality, Beast. Eliminate those pesky heroes and get that Lunar Brace. Then Eirika will be yours,” Riev remarked. He fired something at Valter, before disappearing. Valter quivered in his saddle.

_ Curse… that damn lance! Eirika, run! _

* * *

Eirika watched the wyvern descend upon her, and braced herself for impact. She watched the wyvern get closer and closer until a pegasus rammed into it, knocking all the momentum out of it. She looked up, curious, as the two riders calmed their mounts while drawing their blades. The cursed tip of the wyvern’s lance marked him as clearly Valter, while the sword in the pegasus knight’s made her curious. Vanessa had picked up swords, but she could hardly be called confident in them.

“All right, Valter, let’s finish this!” the pegasus called out. Eirika jumped. She recognised that voice.

“Ha! You think you can manage that, Whitewing?” Valter growled, lunging forward. The Whitewing barrelled down, pulling up a few inches from the ground. Valter swung down with his lance, only for the Whitewing to change her course well before the lance got anywhere near her. Her new course got her close enough to deal a hefty blow to Valter, crippling his left side. While the blood pouring from the wound would be difficult for Valter to deal with, it would not cripple his fighting at all so long as he could end the fight quickly. The cursed lance shot forward, and the Whitewing dodged to the side in her saddle. The effort sent her off the pegasus, dangling on the saddle.

_ “Aura of the divine Latona, save this noble knight!”  _ L’Arachel’s voice called from behind Eirika. No magic appeared, and Eirika heard Moulder make an interested noise. Not particularly eager to investigate, she grabbed Tana’s hands, and pulled her down before Valter lunged again.

“You came for me? What about Grado?” Eirika asked.

“We finished early. Besides, you’re more important,” Tana assured her, before she let go to pull herself free of Achaeus. Eirika helped her, before the two readied their swords for the incoming Valter. Valter descended before them, his wyvern snarling. Tana was interested to see Valter was not, though.

“…Ready to put this thing out of its misery?” Tana asked. Eirika nodded, feeling far less enthused, but still ready to stab. Tana preferred a sweeping motion, hitting Valter in his wound again. It was Valter’s turn to drop from his wyvern.

“Urgh… you… defeated by girls… what a pathetic excuse of a man I’ve become…” Valter sighed. Tana swung her sword down, finishing him off.

“Pathetic, creepy, and completely demented,” Tana snarled. She turned back to Eirika, and smiled encouragingly.

“Ephraim shouldn’t be too far behind. We’ve also got our fair share of mages, but it seems you’ve got that covered, too,” Tana told her. Eirika took a moment for Tana’s reappearance to finally sink in, before she threw herself onto her.

“Tana, I’ve missed you!” Eirika told her. Tana giggled.

“Me too. But we’ve got a little work to do before we can just sit down and chat,” Tana reminded her.

* * *

Emboldened by Tana’s arrival, Joshua took Natasha aside to take a more proactive measure against Caellach. He split apart to find and fight the man himself. Caellach smirked at the attempt.

“Hey there, Jhosua. Heard your mother died. I’m sorry to hear it,” Caellach told him.

“As deaths go, dying to keep the sacred relic of Jehanna safe isn’t completely horrible,” Joshua told him in a would-be casual voice.

“Aye, that be true. Say, Jhosua… what happened to us? We were an unstoppable force back in the day,” Caellach asked. Joshua tensed up.

“I remember, clear as day, what you did to them. The thought of their faces chills me to the bone… that’s why I saved Natasha. That’s why I fight to keep Eirika out of Valter and Lyon’s hands. Because that’s just plain wrong,” Joshua growled. Natasha picked up on the general picture clear as day, and shivered at the thought.

“Hey, to the victor go the spoils, I always say. So I guess the battle between us tells us who gets the spoils of Jehanna’s entire wealth, don’t you reckon?” Caellach asked. Joshua’s Killing Edge jumped to his hands.

“A nation is not as valuable as its treasury! The value of a nation is much, much more than that: it is found within the hearts of its people. The man who fails to understand that will never make king. Cethelreda, I know my mother is dead because of you. Anything resembling mercy disappeared when Audhulma pierced her skin. I’m going to kill you,” Joshua growled back. He lunged forward with a sudden strike, dealing what should have been a decisive blow. Instead, the sword bounced off Caellach’s Hoplon Guard.

“Cost me an arm and a leg, but I knew it would come to blows between us. I will wipe that smug look off your face for good!” Caellach growled. He swung his axe in a deadly arc. Joshua, still stunned from the Guard, jumped back just in time to avoid the axe, but misstepped and fell to the ground. The Sacred Stone tumbled from his pocket.

“Well well… what do we have here?” Caellach asked. Joshua made to jump up, but Caellach put one foot on his back. Natasha jumped onto Caellach, reaching for the Sacred Stone, but Caellach was too quick. Before Natasha could get the Stone out of Caellach’s grasp, it was shattered, dust falling over her hands. Natasha let out a growl.

“Cethelreda…” she snarled. Caellach grabbed her arm, and spun around, holding her in front of him.

“I hear you’re going to become the Queen of Jehanna. I wonder… maybe I can get the title of King out of you!” Caellach wondered. Natasha gasped, and pulled away. Caellach wondered how she managed, when he noticed he was coated in sword wounds. He looked down, and with a start, realised Joshua got out.

“H… how?” Caellach asked.

“Kill my mother? I understand where you came from. Burn down my home? It helped your army win, so I guess it’s just business. But threaten Natasha? That’s where you cross the line,” Joshua growled, letting Caellach drop. Natasha started to blush slightly.

“I’m really…” Natasha started.

“I think killing my mother and burning my home probably helped me get angry enough to overcome the Hoplon Guard. But there was no way that doing  _ that _ was called for on his part,” Joshua growled. Natasha pulled him into a firm hug, beaming like mad.

* * *

Eirika watched as Gerik and Garcia defeated a Grado squadron, and turned to face a second. She looked around for a soldier to place on that line, when the army suddenly stopped. A wyvern landed in front of them, and bent down.

“Princess Eirika, my name is Cormag, brother of Sunstone Glen. I am here on behalf of Prince Ephraim and the Grado Liberation Army. So please don’t start killing us,” Cormag told her. Eirika gave a giggle at the last part.

“So how do I know you’re with us?” Eirika asked seriously.

“I can vouch for them,” Tana called, flying beside them. Eirika had sent her to harass some of the wyverns Valter had brought. Eirika was surprised to find most of them still alive, and was halfway convinced they were also fighting for Eirika’s banner now.

“I see…” Eirika muttered, somewhat concerned.

“Cormag, we killed Valter. Sorry, you know how he is about Eirika…” Tana stated. Eirika looked up, watching the two converse.

“…I suppose I must accept that. It would not do to dwell on seeking revenge for Maisie and Glen… does he still have Duessel’s lance?” Cormag responded.

“What?” Eirika asked.

“Who?” Tana added right afterwards.

“Maisie? She was our sister. A wyvern knight just as good as Glen and I… but the day Valter stole Duessel’s lance, he became a very different person. Grado suffered a bloody nose at the hands of that man… Maisie was among them,” Cormag explained. Eirika opened her mouth, unsure of what to stutter in apology.

“That lance with the funny tip? Yeah, it’s on Valter’s body,” Tana told him. Cormag nodded.

“Good… Duessel explained the legend to me. It’s a cursed lance… and I want to end the curse somehow, in honour of the soldiers who have died to it,” Cormag explained. Eirika nodded, and noticed someone pushing through to the head of the army. Ephraim emerged at the front of the army, and Eirika took a moment to drink in his appearance. He hadn’t fought in the battle at all (everyone else had arrived first), but he clearly looked as though he had run himself ragged getting to her.

“…Brother?” Eirika asked.

“…You’re safe… you’re safe,” Ephraim responded, pulling her into a deep hug. The Grado Liberation Army let out a loud, synchronised cheer, drawing attention from all of Eirika’s hodgepodge forces. They approached, smiling at the sight of the reunited Sivardson twins.

“Eirika, Ephraim... I know you have some personal catching up to do, but hadn’t we better get our respective stories shared first?” Tana asked. The two broke apart, and nodded.

* * *

After a moment for everyone to gather, the royals and the foremost retainers gathered in a Jehannan shelter to start sharing. For the most part, the fine details (such as the individual battles and new forces that came about those battles) would be handled by the logisticians Neimi and Lute, and only the most romantic encounters would find their way back up the totem pole as epics. Eirika and Ephraim were sharing introductions and the most important information.

“The Grado Liberation Army has taken back Gormlaithe, and Vigarde is no more. A faction has joined me out of loyalty to myself, Duessel or Cormag, while the remainder stay behind to help Grado’s upkeep. However, there is one problem that prevents me from calling this war finished,” Ephraim explained.

“Is that so?” Innes asked pointedly.

“Quite so. A scholar named Knoll explained quite a bit about how this war started. At the heart is a powerful stone, derived from Grado’s Sacred Stone, called the Dark Stone. It certainly matches the description Lady Myrrh provided about the dark energies surrounding Grado, and Emperor Vigarde was firmly under the thing’s control. By which I mean he died before the thing was made and was then since reanimated, controlled by Prince Lyon,” Ephraim explained.

“Hmph. Figures,” Innes remarked.

“How can you say that? He’s Eirika and Ephraim’s friend!” L’Arachel cried out. Eirika remained thoughtful.

“…So this was that factor he was talking about. Ephraim, I met Lyon in Jehanna. He seems perfectly fine,” Eirika told him. Ephraim looked down, as if unsure how to proceed.

“…The Prince Lyon we met was nothing of the sort, Eirika. He was prepared to kill us to remove thorns in his side, and only chose not to because he didn’t think he could get away with it. Not only that, but he keeps talking about our relationships with the Five Heroes,” Tana told her.

“…My… Something’s wrong with him…” Eirika sighed.

“Glad we’ve gotten  _ that _ straightened out. Question remains, what now?” Joshua asked.

“It’s obvious. The Dark Stone is the source of all this mess… we must put a stop to its power, prince or no prince,” L’Arachel pointed out.

“And how do you propose we’ll be doing that?” Innes asked.

“The Sacred Stones. We have one- that should be enough,” L’Arachel told him. Joshua looked down nervously, and Natasha held up her still somewhat powdery hands. L’Arachel blinked, her confident expression not fading from her face one jot.

“We have one in Nadaku. Eirika’s Lunar Brace hasn’t been stolen- they shouldn’t have managed to destroy it yet,” Natasha suggested for her. L’Arachel repeated the suggestion proudly.

“Renais seems like the best hope we have,” Innes observed.

“Then we return home, sister. We have to get the Solar Brace back, and then we can get the Sacred Stone of Renais,” Ephraim stated. Eirika nodded.


	22. Duel With A Traitor

_ Renais’s capital Nadaku. Within the castle’s withered walls lies one of the last chances to counter the Dark Stone’s power and put an end to Prince Lyon’s corruption. Sitting in their way is the former Knight of Renais Orson, a regent who has allowed Renais to fall into disrepair. This disheartens the Grado Liberation Army, but only emboldens the Sivardson twins. They want to bring their home back to its former glory. And they vow to make that dream reality. _

* * *

_ _

Eirika and Ephraim rode up to the doors of Nadaku. Ephraim was already scanning the walls, looking for good points to make an advance while not destroying the castle too thoroughly, but Eirika had her eyes firmly on the royal balcony.

“ORSON!” Eirika called. There was a minute of anxious waiting, as everyone watched Eirika patiently. Their patience was rewarded with the sight of Orson. Innes and Neimi had their bows drawn already, but a quick movement from Eirika stopped them firing.

“Orson, you have disgraced the honour of the Sivardson family line. You have sided with Grado and brought your country to ruin. You have stabbed your prince in the back and stolen an artefact of extreme import,” Eirika rattled off. She took in a breath, pulling off one of her gauntlets, and Ephraim and Seth realised, a moment too late, where Eirika was going with this.

“I challenge you to a duel, Orson. Winner takes both Braces and the rule of Renais,” she yelled, throwing the gauntlet to the dirt in front of her. Ephraim and Seth looked between each other, and then everyone following behind her.

“…That is a very serious challenge, Princess. However, I believe we left our last encounter in a promise of a rematch… I accept your challenge,” Orson responded. The army let in a sharp intake of breath, none louder than Seth. The challenge had been accepted. There was no way Eirika could withdraw now.

* * *

“Eirika Sivardson, are you insane?” Ephraim asked, as a campsite was set up in preparation for the duel. Seth, who Eirika had declared her second, had gone to the castle to discuss the terms with Orson’s second.

“Insane? Maybe. But I do not want the people of Renais to see bloodshed. Those are  _ our _ people, Ephraim… I’m not seeing a Grado army sack our castle to get it back,” Eirika told him. Ephraim took a moment. What Eirika said made sense.

“Eirika… I’ll worry about you. Besides, we can’t let Orson get the Sacred Stone! That’s the whole reason we came here!” Ephraim exclaimed.

“I worry about you, too, and that doesn’t stop you running around on hare-brained schemes! And all I need to do to stop Orson getting the Stone is beat him in the duel,” Eirika told him. Ephraim felt humbled. He was alone.

“You really think you can take a hardened knight in a duel and  _ win _ ?” Joshua asked. Eirika looked away from him thoughtfully.

“…I’ve never picked a fight I couldn’t,” Eirika eventually said. Joshua was about to say something barbed, but Ephraim held up his hand. It was no use arguing- now was a time to strengthen Eirika’s morale, not drop it through squabbling.

* * *

Seth looked at the second Orson had appointed. Of course, it would have had to have been someone who could show up at a moment’s notice- Delphine was staring at him intently. At least, the ominous glare he felt made that the most likely explanation. As always, her eyes were hidden by the cowl of her hat.

“Delphine, I know it was my principal that challenged yours to this duel… but I beg of you, please convince Orson to apologise and avert this duel,” Seth asked. Even in his heart, he knew the defence sounded stupid, but he had to try.

“…No. We both know that Orson did not take over Renais to hand it over to Eirika when she came back demanding it. The only way you’ll be getting it back without this duel is storming the castle. I heartily endorse that plan- much more bloodshed that way,” Delphine predictably told him. Seth groaned. He had hoped the implausibility of a concession would bring it about.

“Princess Eirika seeks to avoid bloodshed where possible. It seems I must consent to this duel,” Seth remarked, sighing.

“What’s the matter, Knight? Gone all soft for your Princess?” Delphine needled. Seth glowered.

“That is neither here nor there, Delphine. Now, it is to the challenged to declare weapons?” Seth asked. Delphine nodded, a grin across her face.

“I have consulted with Orson on this matter. He wants the duel fought with swords- he wants Eirika to fight him on an even playing field. Might make the thing exciting, eh?” Delphine asked.

“Nerve-wracking, more like. So are we fighting in the courtyard or a clearing? I know one of a good size, if it’s still open,” Seth remarked. Delphine disappeared, and reappeared within five seconds.

“The clearing is acceptable. And yes, it is workable. The duel will be  à l'outrance, correct?” Delphine asked. Seth shivered.

“I’m guessing first blood is out of the question? If so, can I argue you down to severely wounded?” Seth asked. Delphine tilted her head.

“If you’re uncomfortable with trying to bargain, you could just say so,” Delphine told him. Seth narrowed his eyes.

“I will go no more lethal than a wound that stops the fight,” Seth told her much more confidently. Delphine nodded.

“…I’m refusing that one. Á l’outrance,” Delphine insisted. Seth growled, tears in his eyes, but he could tell Delphine was not budging.

“…Fine. But the duel will take place in a week,” Seth growled. Delphine tilted her head the other direction, obviously wondering whether to push the knight before her.

“…Why not? Make the death hurt when it happens,” Delphine giggled, disappearing. Seth turned on his heel and left to report on the conditions to Eirika. He couldn’t help but feel like a cornered puppy, but he only had himself to blame.

Why he conceded so much against the witch, he had no idea.

* * *

Orson smiled, trying to keep the fear off his face as he returned to his wife. He knew that when he was scared, she got scared, too. He wanted to keep everything in order today.

“You seem happy today, Monica,” Orson observed.

“Well… it’s a special day today,” Monica’s voice echoed.

“Of course it is, darling Monica! It’s your birthday, and I’d never forget  _ that _ ! At any rate, I have a present for you, darling,” Orson told her.

“Oh goody, what is it? Let me see!” Monica exclaimed. Despite this, her body looked no more excited than usual.

“Having fun, Orson?” Delphine asked. Orson jumped, wondering when the witch has wandered in.

“Delphine! I keep telling you, when the door is closed, that means private time!” Orson yelled.

“Yeah! Leave me and darling alone!” Monica’s voice shouted. Delphine rolled her eyes.

“The lengths the human male will go to secure a beloved human female never cease to amuse me… Orson, your duel with Princess Eirika will take place in a week’s time, and shall be to the death. I don’t want to deal with that accursed tactician queen any longer,” Delphine instructed him. Orson gasped.

“But didn’t Lyon want her alive?” Orson asked. Delphine took a moment to choose her response.

“…Don’t kill her too roughly. We might need her corpse,” Delphine stated. Orson gave a little blanche.

“Then I’d best practice before the match,” Orson stated. He turned to Monica.

“I’m sorry about this, Monica. But if I can do this, we’ll never have to leave each other again. We can remain here forever!” Orson told her.

“That’s OK, darling. Just come back alive,” Monica’s voice reassured him. Orson left the room, taking in heaving breaths. Eirika’s confidence was certainly hard on his own.

“…What a pathetic knight. He better actually win this. Having to deal with a living Eirika will be a lot more annoying than just killing her now,” Delphine growled.

“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Monica’s voice asked.

“Of course not, girl! The momentum was Eirika’s. If she didn’t start this mess, we could get what we wanted easily!” Delphine cried out, disappearing.

* * *

With news of the duel passing along Renais, many people came out of hiding to take an interest. Unfortunately, with rampant bandits, Eirika quickly realised that many of those citizens might lose their lives or the lives of their loved ones in the attempt. With that in mind, she gave a suggestion to her army to help the citizens survive the excitement. This was taken up quite enthusiastically by many soldiers in the army, including the Grado Liberation soldiers.

Innes, paired with Vanessa as seeing eyes, examined a path that led to Frelia. Innes’s keen tracking eyes spotted a trail of young footprints engulfed by large bandit-like ones, and pointed it out to Vanessa. Vanessa nodded, and the two followed the path. They noticed a little girl cowering behind a rock, a bandit looming over her. Innes feathered him easily, while Vanessa ran to the aid of the girl.

“Are you all right? Where’s mummy or daddy?” Vanessa asked the child. The girl began to cry.

“Mummy!” she wailed. Vanessa jumped, and pulled the girl into her arms. Innes approached her, a curious expression on his face.

“It’ll be all right… where did you last see mummy?” Vanessa asked. The little girl cried even harder. Innes’s eyes were drawn to the bandit. The bleeding from his arrow wound hadn’t spread much further than the wound itself, as to be expected. But the axe was splattered with blood, and there was no sign of it on the girl. Innes gave a grunt, and pointed this out to Vanessa wordlessly.

“…Where’s daddy?” Vanessa asked. The girl looked up, still tearful.

“Daddy went to ‘Na-da-koo’. He hasn’t come back yet…” the girl told her. Innes seized up. The invasion of Nadaku by the Grado army had been quite thorough. It was probable that the girl’s father was dead, as well. Vanessa realised this too.

“…Come with us. We know someone who likes to play with little girls when their mummy and daddy can’t. She’ll be happy to look after you,” Vanessa told the girl. She sniffled, and Vanessa found herself doing it, too.

“Really?” she asked. Vanessa gave a slight shiver. She wasn’t sure if she could promise Natasha would be able to keep an eye on her forever. After all, the war would not end with this duel, regardless of outcome. And if Natasha remained by Joshua’s side in the thick of the action, she could possibly die too. On the other hand, Joshua would not allow Natasha to die if he could help it.

“…She’ll be there for you,” Vanessa eventually said. Innes gave a thoughtful nod, knowing what Vanessa was likely considering. She’d likely fight twice as hard in upcoming battles to ensure Natasha didn’t die. Vanessa pulled the girl up onto her pegasus, and turned to Innes.

“Do you want to get her back first?” Vanessa asked. Innes took his own time to think. They were not the only ones who headed in this general direction. In addition, if word reached Frelia of Eirika’s duel, it was likely that someone Frelian would be coming this way- and even a Frelian pegasus messenger could do a lot to save anyone they encountered along the way.

“Yes,” Innes told her. He gave Vanessa a firm smile, which she blushed while returning.

* * *

Ross and Garcia, meanwhile, chose a path that would lead to Ide. The village they had made their home would be very grateful for their return. The journey was quite long, but they arrived to see…

Well, it was still the village. But the homes were smoking husks, and the streets had unmistakable signs of dried blood.

“Diego? Lesley? Anyone there?” Garcia yelled. Following was a slight sound. Ross turned to Garcia, and nodded. He set his axes down, and stepped forward into the village.

“It’s me, Ross! You’re all safe… Dad’s home, too!” Ross called, clearly holding up his hands to show they were empty. A door opened, and a figure exited the house cautiously, as if to avoid presenting a large target to a sudden strike. Ross remembered the house that stood where that one was.

“Diego?” Ross asked. The figure jumped.

“…Ross? You are Ross?” the mayor asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m Ross, and that is Garcia,” Ross told him, a note of impatience betraying him. Diego stepped forward, pulling his face into relief. He looked much older than what should have been expected.

“Ross… you have returned,” Diego stated.

“I have returned. The duel between Eirika and Orson has caused civilians of Renais to die needlessly. I have come to Ide to prevent that,” Ross explained.

“Not much of Ide now… bandits came shortly after you left. We’ve been living on very little since. I assume that this Princess Eirika wants to fix this mess?” Diego asked.

“Yes,” Ross told him. Diego pondered the matter.

“We are a weak village. It will be difficult to make the journey to Nadaku- that is why we did not start it. If we remain, the bandits who watch this village will know I am here, in hiding… and then my home will be destroyed, as will all the villagers who hide with me. Your arrival, though you did not intend it, has caused hardship…” Diego muttered.

“Then I’ll get those bandits!” Ross exclaimed. Diego jumped.

“You? But you’re just a child!” Diego exclaimed. Ross shook his head.

“I’m much more than that now. I’m not going to be holding Dad back while we go deal with them. Help us do it, Mayor,” Ross told him. Diego smiled.

“Those are some strong words, son… I’m proud of you. Now let’s go live up to them,” Garcia told Ross from behind him.

* * *

L’Arachel looked at one of the practice mannequins. Eirika was right beside her, preparing for her duel, but L’Arachel chose not to think about that.

_ “Aura of Latona, smite thy foe!”  _ she casted. Nothing happened.

_ “Aura of Eizariya, smite thy foe!”  _ she tried again. Again, nothing happened.

“Interesting how your magic seems to fail you…” Moulder observed. L’Arachel jumped.

“Sir Moulder! It is improper to sneak up on a lady!” L’Arachel exclaimed indignantly. Moulder approached L’Arachel, and gave her a look-over.

“So, how do you cast without tomes?” Moulder asked. L’Arachel tilted her head in confusion.

“What are tomes, and why should I care about them?” L’Arachel asked. Moulder’s moustache began to quiver.

“Tomes are the spellbooks you see Artur and Lute wield when casting magic. Magic is different to physical forms of combat in many ways, but mages shouldn’t be casting spells without tomes,” Moulder told her. L’Arachel took a moment to consider Moulder’s proposal.

“...So you’re saying my magic isn’t working because I’m not carrying around some musty old tome? You’ve got to be kidding me,” L’Arachel complained.

“I am not joking, Princess,” Moulder told her firmly.

“I have Latona’s blood coursing through my veins! I don’t need tomes when I have my divine heritage to call upon magic!” L’Arachel proudly exclaimed.

“L’Arachel, listen to me. When we first met Artur, he was exhausting himself by casting spells when he was out of magical essence in his tome. It was likely that, without our intervention, he would’ve died in that monster attack. I don’t know why you have simply failed to cast instead of casting using your own stamina, but I intend to correct your mistake before you die the way Artur didn’t,” Moulder told her.

“But-” L’Arachel started.

“No buts, Princess. You may have rank, but I’ve been looking after rebellious princesses while you were still on all fours! Now take this Lighting tome and start practicing!” Moulder yelled. He seemed so much larger as he yelled that L’Arachel, even with her horse, felt compelled to obey instead of rebel further.

* * *

Gerik looked up as he returned from his search. Everyone was converging on the agreed-upon site: it was clear that the duel was about to begin. Gerik breathed in. Eirika was no ordinary mercenary, but Gerik had seen far too much to avoid thinking about Eirika’s dead body. Just like Zabba, and all his other friends. It was always worse when it was single, prearranged combat…

“Gerik!” a familiar voice called. It wasn’t loud, but Gerik was used to the quieter tones of the speaker.

“Marisa!” Gerik called back, holding his arms out as the mercenary rushed forward. She rushed forward and gave him a hug of gratitude, which she quickly broke away from. She nodded at Tethys, before standing at attention.

“...Are you OK, Marisa? Where did you wind up?” Gerik asked.

“Taizel. Ewan found me, and we joined Ephraim until we could figure out how to get back. Tethys, Ewan is here,” Marisa stated.

“I know. He seemed more interested in his new friends and Saleh, when he got here. …But I guess I can try and talk to him again,” Tethys explained, winking as she left. Gerik was left wondering about Marisa, as per usual.

“Gerik, I want to fight by your side forever,” Marisa stated. Gerik went to nod, before realising there was more to it.

“Marisa… do you…” Gerik started.

“Of course. You are my boss, after all,” Marisa told him. Gerik’s jaw dropped, and he suddenly got to thinking. There were a number of misunderstandings going on, and he had to figure out how to disassemble them.

“Well… we’d better go watch the duel,” Gerik stated.

“Right. Done,” Marisa stated, holding out her hand. Gerik smiled, and took it.

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen of Renais. Today, I welcome you to a duel that will decide the fate of Renais. Princess Eirika Sivardson challenges Regent Orson Verdane for the title of Renais’s ruler,” Ephraim announced. There was scattered cheering about the stands, but most of the crowd, including those that knew and trusted the Sivardsons, waited with bated breath.

“Verdane, I ask this because it’s in the rules I have to, is there any way we can get you to apologise and stave off this duel?” Ephraim asked.

“Of course not, boy. I did not take the throne to get off it when my enemy asked rudely,” Orson told him. Ephraim sighed, looking at the Braces beside him. Seth and Delphine raised their hands, and Eirika and Orson stepped onto the field. Eirika looked quite ready for battle with far more armour than she normally wore, and a buckler on her left arm. However, Orson’s armour would encumber him less, as he wore it more often, and he had a much larger shield. Eirika’s agility would only take her so far, and everyone knew it to some degree. Eirika did have a chance, but when it came to battles, everyone had a chance to win. Eirika and Orson raised their shields to show they were ready. Now was the time.

“Be safe, sister… and… begin!” Ephraim called. Orson charged forward, and Eirika dodged to one side. Her rapier flicked forwards and backwards with surprising speed, but Orson was prepared for that. His armour’s weak spots seemed to have been changed, and his own shield was blocking its fair share of strikes. Orson went for an overhead swing, and Eirika pulled up her buckler to block it. The sheer weight of Orson’s swing sent odd vibrations down her entire body, and it took a concentrated effort for Eirika to get her agility back in time to evade Orson’s follow up strike.

Orson’s next blows rained down on Eirika in a pattern Eirika could at least recognise. Dodge, duck, weave, parry, counter. Eirika knew that she was outmatched, but she had Orson in an uncomfortable position. She was determined to make sure that, even if she died, Ephraim or someone else in her group would be able to capitalise on Orson’s weakness to get back her country. She thrust her rapier into Orson’s hand, and found herself readying a disarm. She smiled, looking to Ephraim… and noticing the Solar and Lunar Braces, having been placed beside Ephraim before the match, had disappeared. She let out an unladylike curse, before her lapse in concentration had Orson shove his massive shield into her, shoving her to the ground. Orson’s heavy boot landed on Eirika’s equally cumbersome waist-plate, the point of Orson’s blade at her throat.

She had lost. She gave a smile, knowing that Tana would be there for her country once she had gone.

* * *

Lyon growled at the throne. He had intended to sneak away with both Braces to get to the Sacred Stone, but the Lunar Brace had vanished before he got there. And the thief wasn’t even trying their luck here…

“...So it was you,” a familiar voice called. Lyon turned, and noticed the Lunar Brace on a familiar mage. His lip curled in annoyance.

“Emrys,” Lyon growled.

“...I do prefer Lute, you know. I’ve got no connection to the Emryson line, and you give me far too much credit thinking I have anywhere near his head for tactics,” Lute told him. Lyon growled again, and turned to the throne.

“If you want the Sacred Stone, you’re wasting your time. Half-powers can only be used by two people working in concert. And it will be a little on the dumber end for me to help you get your hands on it,” Lute told him.

“Of course…” Lyon observed. Lute stepped forward, light magic at the tips of her fingers. Lyon stepped back, snarling.

“Of course you…” Lyon began.

“Why else would I request Artur learn it? Leaves me to focus on the variety of anima tomes, while still having a plan to cover darkness. When Artur picked up healing, he taught me a few tricks so I could do that part myself,” Lute remarked. She shot forward a Divine spell, which Lyon’s own Nosferatu barely swallowed.

“Now, I’m going to offer you a deal. Get me into the place so I can secure the Sacred Stone, and I’ll not slaughter you here. Trust me when I say that light magic isn’t the only trick in my arsenal,” Lute told him. She shifted her tomes slightly, and Lyon caught a glimpse of Emrys’s Swift Wind Excalibur.

“...You push a hard bargain… I accept,” Lyon remarked. Lute smirked, and held up the Lunar Brace. Lyon pulled the Solar one up over his face, concealing his own smirk as Lute cast the spell needed to awaken the bracelets’ half-power. The throne moved aside, revealing a passage a tad too narrow for both mages to pass abreast. Lyon managed to sneak in first.

The Renais chamber was much like the Grado one in concept. The plinth holding the Sacred Stone sat in the middle of the room, on a raised dais. To either side, now that the chamber had widened, stood two statues. They carried the Sacred Twins of Renais, Siegmunde and Sieglinde, as well as bearing a close resemblance to Sivard and Nada Kuya. Lute instantly gained a good idea as to what to expect from Jehanna and Frelia’s chambers, but the foreknowledge only excited her to see Rausten’s. Lyon took the Sacred Stone from the plinth, his eyes in excitement from holding the Stone. However, slowly, he turned to Lute and handed it to her.

“Thank you,” Lute told her.

“Don’t thank me yet… you don’t know what you’re in for,” Lyon told her before vanishing. Lute took a moment to wonder how he managed, before remembering that Eirika’s survival was a tad more important than such trivialities.

* * *

Ephraim would always consider that day the worst he ever felt in his life, despite the good things that came out of it. Seeing his sister defeated and about to be killed right in front of him, where nothing but the rules of duelling stopped him from saving her, was bad enough.

What he had never realised would be worse was Tana breaking those rules.

Audhulma parried the descending arc of Orson’s sword, and Tana’s following shoulder bash pushed Orson away from Eirika. Orson had only a shocked moment to realise what had happened before Tana’s flurry of strikes from the Ice Blade left him unable to do little more than parry. And even that seemed risky- his one strike sent Tana ducking and pushing into his legs, causing a jet of black light from Delphine’s wand to course right over her. A second missed her by a hair, and Eirika gave a short wail. Tana turned her head in confusion, and the opening was all Delphine needed. The third blast of light struck Tana, paralysing her.

“Tut tut… one shouldn’t be breaking rules like that. Did no one tell you the punishment for interfering in a duel was death?” Delphine asked. A second blow, and Tana disappeared in a black circle of light. Delphine disappeared before anyone present could retaliate- though several arrows, javelins and other weapons filled the air Delphine occupied a split second beforehand. Orson grinned at where Eirika lied in the dirt- although that was no longer the case. The last thing Orson saw was Eirika’s glare as the rapier finally punched through his armour, crumpling inside his body. Orson dropped to the ground, the pain in his gut precluding any sinister tricks. Eirika turned to Ephraim. He mumbled something about Eirika having won, before running down to her and pulling her into a hug himself.

“...Orson is dead! Long live Ephraim!” someone called from the crowd. The shout began to echo around, and Eirika and Ephraim jumped up to look around in surprise.

“...I will make this land great,” Ephraim muttered angrily. Eirika looked at him with some concern. Ephraim smiled at his people, but as he left to enter the castle, Eirika could practically feel his negative emotions. Anger, sadness, and a hint of something else…

“Princess Eirika,” Duessel’s voice called her back to this world.

“Duessel... what’s wrong with Ephraim?” Eirika asked.

“Princess Tana meant more to Ephraim than he might ever know. More than that, his liberation of Grado has taught him that it is not the promise of a new king that motivates the people here… it is the celebration of the removal of the old. Ephraim has a tremendous burden to uphold, and he had expected to have Tana’s help in doing that,” Duessel told her. Eirika let out a snort.

“Tana’s help?” Eirika scoffed.

“You’d be surprised. But I expect he’ll need your support, not just to hunt down the witch, but to uphold Renais once he has done so,” Duessel told her. Eirika nodded, and looked in Ephraim’s direction again. She thought about what might happen if she were to lose Seth, before jumping and giving chase to Ephraim.

* * *

Eirika found Ephraim sitting on the throne, which had been moved. Ephraim told her, very briefly, that Lute was in there, investigating some sort of magic. Eirika looked at her brother. She got a distinct sense of general misery from him still, and she knew for sure that was because of Tana. Eirika took in a breath, before coming up and sitting on his lap. Ephraim jumped, not the least because Eirika was still wearing heavier armour than he was used to, but he accepted the gesture all the same.

“Eirika… what am I going to do? Tana meant the world to me, and now she’s dead. And now I’m to be King, just in time for Renais’s bond with Frelia to be shattered… and then we march on Grado… and I almost lost you!” Ephraim muttered. Eirika shook her head.

“Innes is not going to hate you any more than he already does. He knows Tana’s death was not Renais’s fault,” Eirika pointed out. Ephraim gave a weak laugh.

“What about Tana? The Whitewing was important to so many of our successes… and she also took Audhulma with her!” Ephraim cried. Eirika looked down, tears in her eyes.

“Then we’ll show Tana that Ephraim’s just as strong. We’ll find Delphine, and we’ll kill her, too. And both of us are going to survive,” Eirika told him. Ephraim looked up, and noticed Lute’s arrival.

“Yes, Lute?” Ephraim asked.

“The magic unleashed by using the half-powers of the bracelets awakened a change within them. While wearing them, you should have access to much more potential. And the Sacred Twins of Renais await your grasp… they didn’t seem happy to have me try and get them out,” Lute reported. Ephraim nodded, and Lute let the two be. She suspected not even the news of Lyon's cooperation would help them now.

* * *

Innes marched up to Neimi’s girls. They gave him an acknowledgement before resuming practice, to which Innes responded with a call. The girls dropped their bows, and turned to face Innes.

“Ladies, I want to get one thing out of the way quickly, and I mean no offence when I ask this… why do none of you return home?” Innes asked.

“Renais is in chaos… and we were kidnapped because of all the bandits running around,” one of the girls pointed out.

“Ross and Garcia visited Ide, and there’s no way I’d be safe going back there,” another girl remarked. Innes nodded.

“That is satisfactory. Now, Prince Lyon and the witch Delphine remain at large, and all we have to fight them is a legend about shiny rocks passed down by our ancestors. I’d like a bit better odds than that, and with how often they leave us alone, I expect they’re charging some kind of magical attack that they believe will wipe us out anyway. I’d like to get the drop on them, for once,” Innes told them. The girls looked between each other.

“And why do you want us to help?” one asked.

“...Because you’re good at stealth. The Frelian pegasus knights are good at movement, but I can trust you girls to go in and come out with them none the wiser. Besides, they’ll have to have gone somewhere about Rausten… Grado’s too hostile for them,” Innes explained.

“...So why are you so eager to find them? Surely it’ll be safer to go methodically,” a girl pointed out. Innes looked to the ground.

“...She might have been annoying, naive, and hopelessly in love with Ephraim, but there’s no way I’m letting Delphine walk away from murdering my sister with such an inconsequential punishment. I want her to know fear before I take her life,” Innes growled. The girls all jumped and shivered.

“We’ll tell Neimi first, and then we’ll get right on that,” a number of girls called. Many of those were archers, and Innes had a suspicion that they would be doing the ‘stealth’ thing a little differently. He shrugged, and nodded. If his suspicion was correct, Delphine would probably be more fearful.


	23. Toxic Words

_ Princess Tana disappears in a spell casted by Delphine, claimed to have been punishment for interfering with a duel. Eirika and Ephraim want revenge in addition to satisfying the need to finish the war, and find out what happened to Lyon. Prince Innes traces the presence of Lyon and Delphine to Narube River, and Ephraim is quick to order an engagement. The Grado Liberation Army and the Frelian pegasus knights remain in Renais to rebuild while everyone else approaches Lyon in hopes of finishing the war. _

* * *

 

“Ephraim, there’s a visitor for you!” Eirika called. Ephraim ran into the courtyard, following the voice of his sister, to see an odd sight in the courtyard. A beautiful little girl stood beside a pegasus, giving it a few strokes to the muzzle. She turned, and beamed as she saw Ephraim. The sight made him feel a little odd.

“Eirika? Who is this?” Ephraim asked.

“This is Princess Tana, of Frelia. She knew you got sidetracked by Innes, so she came by to say hello,” Eirika told him. Ephraim took another moment to consider Tana. While she certainly knew her way around a pegasus, he could see no weapons.

“Nice to meet you, Princess Tana. Happy birthday, and apologies for not seeing you yesterday,” Ephraim told her, holding out his hand. Tana let out a giggle.

“No problem, Ephraim. From what your sister’s told me, you were worth the wait,” Tana stated simply. Ephraim turned to Eirika, who was taking her own time to marvel at the pegasus. He turned back to Tana, who was still smiling as if she hadn’t said anything particularly unnerving.

“That’s… nice,” Ephraim muttered, feeling a little hot under the collar.

“Ephraim… could you show me your lancework? I want to learn a little about being a pegasus knight, and Syrene reckons I should see a little bit of a drill before I try it myself,” Tana asked. Ephraim gave a chuckle, feeling much more in his comfort zone, as he led Tana over to a training mannequin with a practice lance in hand.

Ephraim looked up from his memory. The first time he had met Tana… of course, the girl had made him feel tremendously uncomfortable at the time. All the same, he couldn’t help feeling as if all those fictitious missions he sent himself on to evade her were just eating up time that might’ve been better spent with her, in the end… of course, that was all benefits of hindsight.

“...Brother?” Ephraim heard. It was not Eirika’s voice- he’d recognise that without question. Instead, it was Myrrh.

“Myrrh? When did you get here?” Ephraim asked.

“I came with the others. Saleh and two Frelian soldiers came when they heard you and Eirika reunited… Brother, I heard you lost a friend,” Myrrh told him. Ephraim smirked.

“Can’t hide anything from you… yes, Princess Tana was my friend… perhaps more than that,” Ephraim told her. Myrrh nodded, taking his hand.

“Brother… is there anything I could do?” Myrrh asked.

“Do you think you could find Tana and bring her back?” Ephraim asked, not very seriously. Myrrh considered the matter.

“...I can feel Tana’s presence… hm…” Myrrh stated. Ephraim looked up- he hadn’t expected her to try. Myrrh let out a solemn-sounding incantation, before opening them.

“I cannot tell if Tana is alive or dead. Her soul seems to be somewhere between the two. The part of her essence on this plane is located before us,” Myrrh told him. Ephraim raised an eyebrow in curiosity. That certainly seemed odd… why would Delphine not kill Tana when she had the chance? What did they want with her?

“Brother… can I stay with you? I want to comfort you… and I know you will comfort me,” Myrrh asked. Ephraim nodded, not particularly paying attention, as Myrrh sat down beside him.

* * *

Innes was checking the ranks of the army. Politely acknowledging the arrival of Gilliam and Syrene, he was far more surprised to see a rather well-off looking thief leaning against a tree. Innes approached him, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Who are you?” Innes asked. The thief let out a scoff.

“Name’s Rennac. Got hired to do Gerik a favour, but L’Arachel’s in this party. Haven’t done much since ‘cause… L’Arachel,” Rennac drawled. Innes nodded.

“Yes, I hear L’Arachel causes problems. You knew her?” Innes asked.

“Knew her? She was my employer, once! Got dragged around the continent, quite often literally, on one or another of her hare-brained schemes, and not a nickel to show for it. Got away thanks to Kiris, only for Fate to drag me back. Thank whatever goddess L’Arachel’s not worshipping I haven’t bumped into her yet,” Rennac remarked. Innes checked over his shoulder. Fortunately, whatever deity was not cruel enough to have her show up then.

“You have any idea on why she liked you so much?” Innes asked.

“Not a clue. I tried my hardest to be unpleasant. Why do you ask?” Rennac responded. Innes shrugged. Truth be told, he had no idea.

“Well… she does seem to have some kind of infatuation with me, so hopefully my existence will keep her off your back. But I want to hear good reports about your contributions,” Innes told him. Rennac saluted, as Innes wandered off. Rennac looked over his own shoulder, checking for L’Arachel. As he resumed a quiet contemplation in a dark corner, he wondered whether constantly looking over his shoulder for a princess that honestly didn’t look half-bad was worth it.

Of course, he still nursed the hope that L’Arachel had forgotten him.

* * *

Knoll fidgeted with his tomes, watching Natasha happily talk with Joshua about their new life in Jehanna. Just knowing the girl had a future made him uncertain of his next path. Sure, he had known Natasha’s reputation as kind and generous, but if Jehanna would make her happy, why would he keep her in Grado? And yet, he knew that to preserve Natasha’s happiness through silence would be to condemn an unknown but unpleasantly large number of Grado’s people to injury or death. He was interrupted from his musings by being bumped into by a young girl.

“Excuse me…” she muttered nervously.

“Of course. You’re… Amelia, right?” Knoll asked, vaguely remembering his introduction to the army.

“How did you know my name?” the soldier asked. That, at least, confirmed it  _ was  _ Amelia.

“It is in my nature to crave knowledge. Knowing my allies and their capabilities is a part of that knowledge, and I try not to forget things,” Knoll explained. Amelia giggled slightly.

“So what’s bothering you?” Amelia asked. Knoll sighed.

“It’s… it’s part of the Doubleye Project. Well… it’s more of a second thing, really. Some of the less serious mages called it Doubley. Anyway… we were investigating the Sacred Stone’s ability to detect the ripples of cataclysms before they occurred,” Knoll explained, silently marvelling at the fact he felt no compunction about sharing information on those top-secret projects.

“Like Artur’s divining rods?” Amelia asked. Knoll restrained his laughter very poorly.

“Those? Cheap vendor knockoffs. The only reason Artur finds the thing helpful is what I believe is external enchantments. Divining rods are about as reliable as an external party making an educated guess as to what will happen next. However, no matter how powerful, a divining rod will never pick up on natural events. It doesn’t do things contrived by man all that well either, but it tries,” Knoll scoffed.

“...I’m guessing you had poor experiences with them?” Amelia asked. Knoll shrugged.

“Just strong beliefs. Plus I did work on ‘Doubley’ for quite some time. Point is, we did pick up on something…” Knoll told her. Amelia gasped.

“What was it?” Amelia asked. Knoll contemplated telling her, his reason against being that she was young. Eventually, he decided that the truth was more important.

“An earthquake. We’re guessing a ten on Viktor’s scale, but most don’t quite understand how that works, so we just point out most of Grado’s earthquakes are a two and let that be explanation enough. The greatest earthquake, recorded by Zelda Marinsdatter in 613, was likely a six,” Knoll explained. Amelia had only a vague recollection of that tale, but it was clear enough to know what to expect.

“Lyon’s madness, in some part, is likely due to this knowledge. I have told no one else in this army yet, for fear of panic amongst the Grado-born. However, with the Grado rank and file away from us, I thought to maybe tell Natasha…” Knoll explained.

“Reasonable. So when’s it going to be?” Amelia asked.

“I believe the estimate was five years. My timeline of this war has not helped me know when we actually ran that, so I’d tell anyone four now,” Knoll told her. Amelia looked down, thinking about everyone in Grado.

“...I’ll… I’ll be there for Grado…” Amelia muttered. Knoll placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s all right to be scared. I don’t know how we’ll manage the cataclysm to reduce casualties to a minimum. But I swear, as the last of Lyon’s mages, that I will try,” Knoll assured her.

“I’ll see if Ewan will help. I doubt it in any sense of the word…” Amelia suggested, running off. Knoll gave a wan smile. Maybe he should ask Lute, at least...

* * *

Ephraim restarted the march, as they came out to the Narube River. The river’s flow was much slower than normal, and thus a large quantity of moss and other ‘green’-ness tended to gather. The environment let off a slightly-off smell, and had attracted civilians adept at purification. Said civilians were currently watching the sky fearfully.

“What’s going on?” Ephraim asked. Beside him, Eirika gave an uncertain heave.

“I don’t know, but perhaps it’d be best to… LOOK OUT!” Syrene called. She shot into the air, and matched her lance with the sword of an approaching falcoknight. Syrene backed away to survey her foe, while the falcoknight charged in. Syrene was knocked off her pegasus, and Gilliam caught her. Ephraim looked closely at the attacking falcoknight, overlooking his sister collapsing beside him. He thought he recognised the adornments.

“No…” Ephraim muttered. Innes tried aiming a few shots at the falcoknight, and they were quickly blocked by a Fili Shield. Ephraim’s jaw dropped. Valter’s Fili Shield had been given to…

“TANA?” Ephraim cried out. The Frelians paused in their charge to take a close look, careful to remain out of range. Her streaming blue hair had remained, as had her wide blue eyes, but to Ephraim’s chagrin, she had taken on a ghostly pallor and pinched skin.

“This…” Ephraim muttered, drawing Siegmunde. He cast a glance around, before running to his horse.

“Ephraim, where are you going?” L’Arachel asked in panic.

“To find Delphine!” Ephraim stated, rushing his horse into a gallop. L’Arachel followed him uncertainly, knowing that any support was good support. Innes stared down Tana, trying to figure out what to do about her advantages.

“Innes… hold your archery, please,” a gruff voice told him. Innes relaxed his bow, wondering who he had heard. Cormag stepped forward, wyvern at the ready.

“Whitewing… this will be our duel! I will show you your error in antagonising Grado’s wyverns!” Cormag roared, his wyvern following with a less eloquent roar. Cormag mounted Genarog, and shot forward with his lance. The Whitewing parried it easily. Cormag began a flurry of attacks, all of which the Whitewing blocked and parried as necessary. Cormag growled, wondering how to counter such a fearless warrior. As he did so, Tana’s own flurry came out, and Cormag found himself parrying sword strokes with a lance- hardly the easiest thing to do, especially on wyvernback.

“How is Tana putting up so much of a fight?” Innes wondered loudly. Cormag questioned this himself. He thought about the girl who cried into Ephraim’s shoulder. He thought about the girl who giggled like a child. He thought about the girl who had second thoughts about her strength because of how she acquired it. As he did so, the Whitewing’s flurry started petering out. Instead of a confident, well-oiled machine, Cormag was fighting a confused and frightened little girl.

“What happened?” Cormag exclaimed. Lute pulled out a book, but everyone else could only watch in confusion. Innes was the one who turned Tana into dust, concerned she might resume the will to fight. Cormag looked up, readying his lance for reinforcements.

He was confident he wasn’t going to see Maisie, but he steeled himself for the possibility regardless.

* * *

Ephraim found himself facing the necromancer and the witch engaged in what might have been fascinating conversation had he cared. However, he had bones to pick with both, and he wasn’t interested in their inane chatter.

“Lyon!” Ephraim called. Lyon turned to him, sending Delphine away. Ephraim growled- but he guessed that he’d get his revenge another day.

“Well well, Sivardson. Looks like you’re not in this war to see Grado or Renais restored… you’re here for me,” Lyon observed.

“Lyon, you killed my wife, and have destroyed a Sacred Stone. Whatever it is you claim, it’s not innocence,” Ephraim growled. Lyon chuckled.

“I suppose not… I don’t exactly have history’s cleanest hands. They call me Fomortiis… wait, no,  _ I _ call me that. The Demon King will do,” Lyon told him. Ephraim raised an eyebrow.

“...Lyon, I can accept the whole ‘murder’ thing, but I will not stand by and have you blame an old legend,” Ephraim muttered. Lyon let out a laugh- a clearly evil one.

“And what did the legends say? That I was within the Stone of Grado, right? Then where do you think I went after your friend destroyed it?” Lyon asked. Ephraim leaned back, and his horse took a step backwards in response.

“So you are the Demon King… what have you done with Lyon?” Ephraim asked.

“Calm, Sivardson…” Lyon told him. He took in a deep breath, before collapsing in a heap. Ephraim dismounted, and approached cautiously.

“...Ephraim, it’s me,” Lyon muttered from within the cloak. Ephraim helped him up, looking at him curiously.

“Lyon? What happened to you?” Ephraim asked. Lyon chuckled.

“My father was a great man. He died through overwork piling onto an illness he acquired doing what he loved: serving the people. There’s no way I could match up to him- I’m so weak and frail, I’d probably overwork myself before I could pluck up the courage to ask Eirika to sire me an heir. But not with the power in the Fire Emblem… my lord, the power. I could heal the dying, revive the dead… all with purely intellectual effort. Yeah, it’s the power of the Demon King… but all the easier to deal with the faulty systems your countries have. I could destroy that Innes and claim Frelia’s luck… I could fertilise Jehanna’s desert and rid them of those mercenaries… I could shatter the church of that false goddess Latona… and, most of all… I could claim Eirika’s hand and rule Renais. I could finally get you to curb that impulsiveness and serve your betters…” Lyon explained. Ephraim stepped back, horror in his thoughts.

“You’re… you’re not Lyon…” Ephraim muttered.

“Well… I guess you could say I’m not the Lyon you last saw. Fomortiis has opened my eyes. There is no good and evil: there is only power. The power to right wrongs. The power to commit them. The power to overthrow those who exercise the latter… and the power of love, too,” Lyon explained, adding the last point rather half-heartedly.

“...So you’re really bent on claiming my sister as your bride? I’m sorry, my friend, but if you think I’ll let you have her, then you’d better think twice,” Ephraim growled.

“Do you really think you scare me? I know what keeps you up at night…” Lyon responded. He swished his cape, and let out a stream of dark fireballs. The orbs began to circle Ephraim, preparing to strike in.

_ “Shine light upon the foulest darkness!”  _ a woman casted. Bright lights appeared before Ephraim, scattering the fireballs there, and Ephraim charged through them, his lance plunging into Lyon. Lyon teleported to the side, smirking.

“You don’t scare me,” Ephraim growled.

“I can, though…” Lyon taunted, smirking. Ephraim tossed Siegmunde, and Lyon vanished again. Ephraim scooped it up before looking again. He was sitting atop a structure.

“How do you plan on that?” Ephraim asked.

“How’s your sister holding up?” Lyon asked. The colour drained from Ephraim’s face, as he remembered her slumping, but nothing after that.

“Gotcha. Well, I’ve got actual plans to work on, and I’m going to go need to deal with them. Don’t want Fomortiis and Delphine getting to them first, after all!” Lyon taunted, vanishing. L’Arachel cantered up to Ephraim, her face as pale as his. Having adapted to L’Arachel wearing makeup frequently, the sight of her going paler than that was cause for concern.

“What happened to Eirika?” Ephraim asked.

“I don’t know… I’m scared for her, too…” L’Arachel stated. Ephraim growled, and ran to his horse.

* * *

L’Arachel dismounted, to see everyone beginning to set up a camp. A few of the river folk had come to offer purified water and talk with Neimi- who they considered the most trustworthy. Eirika was propped onto a bed, her forehead a bright red. L’Arachel approached her cautiously- she had a suspicion that she did not want to touch that forehead.

“L… Lara…” Eirika muttered. L’Arachel drew up a seat next to her, and reached cautiously with a hand. Eirika, somewhat wisely, didn’t take it.

“Eirika… how are you feeling?” L’Arachel asked.

“Oddly… just exhausted…” Eirika murmured.

“Oh dear, you’re deluded, too… I suppose this is an unnatural fever. Has Moulder cast Restore yet?” L’Arachel asked.

“...Yes…” Eirika stuttered out. L’Arachel gave a short sob.

“Then it’ll be just waiting out an explanation… oh, my dear Eirika… whatever happened to you…” L’Arachel asked. Eirika raised an eyebrow, but found herself drowsy.

“L… Lyon...” Eirika muttered, falling asleep. L’Arachel sighed.

“Eirika, I… l… hope you feel better soon,” L’Arachel whispered, leaning in. She jumped back, quickly realising the folly of that, before leaving Eirika in a hurry.

* * *

Ephraim, meanwhile, encountered Innes as he arrived. He noticed L’Arachel talking to Eirika, and decided to get a report from her after he listened to Innes.

“Ephraim… when Gilliam and Syrene returned to us, they brought along the Sacred Twins of Frelia…” Innes stated. Ephraim opened his mouth to name them, but quickly realised he could not.

“...Robin’s Serpent Bow Nidhogg and Dethyl’s Winged Lance Vidofnir. I’d have thought that, since you’re related to Dethyl, you’d have remembered,” Innes remarked.

“I do try and forget that. It makes Tana uncomfortable… it made Tana uncomfortable,” Ephraim stated, looking down in mourning. Innes did the same, realising what he had brought up, before steeling his resolve.

“...You will need them in the war ahead. Take them,” Innes stated, procuring them and holding them out. Ephraim looked at them in awe, before taking Vidofnir, wondering vaguely who to give it to.

“And Nidhogg?” Innes asked.

“...Innes, do you honestly think there’s an archer more deserving of it? I can hardly think of anyone other than Neimi’s bunch who  _ can _ use a bow!” Ephraim pointed out. Innes looked at Neimi. Her squad was built on trust for each other…

“...I’ll ask. But I suspect you are right,” Innes observed. Ephraim nodded, and thought about who’d get Vidofnir. His first thought was Tana, but she was gone. And had Audhulma anyway.

* * *

That night, Eirika tossed and turned in her sleep. She slowly reached for the glass of water sitting beside her bed, trying to calm herself down. She strongly suspected that such little water was doing nothing for her cure, but L’Arachel insisted, and there was hardly an abundant water source nearby. She took the glass, and nervously pulled it back. A warm, comforting hand took the glass away, and poured a little into her mouth for her. Eirika could offer thanks, but found herself unable to open her eyes and identify her saviour.

“Hello, Eirika,” Lyon’s unmistakable voice muttered. Eirika jumped, but couldn’t quite muster the volume needed to scream. She settled for a very calm and quiet “Lyon.”

“Eirika… you miss your friend, Tana, don’t you?” Lyon asked. Eirika nodded. She remained bedridden and unable to do more, but with what little she gleaned about Lyon from the war, she was cautious regardless.

“...I have her. I took her from Delphine… she’s not dead. She is stone. And I can bring her back… but I need the power of the Sacred Stone,” Lyon told her.

“But you’re here… why not restore her now?” Eirika breathed.

“Because I do not have her on me. Besides, do you think they’ll let me anywhere near it? That Silver Knight of yours-” Lyon started.

“Seth,” Eirika interjected. She may be bedridden, but she still had that bond with him.

“...Yeah, him. He’s guarding it quite zealously, and I don’t think he’ll take too kindly to me. Our countries were just at war, remember?” Lyon pointed out. Eirika nodded in understanding.

“...I should be able to cure your fever, Eirika. And if you agree to allow me, I want you to take the Sacred Stone to the heart of Mt. Neleras. If you agree, you should be safe to travel alone,” Lyon told her. Eirika considered the matter. Prince Ephraim would agree regardless- his love for Tana was his weakness. Seth would disagree regardless- he trusted nobody, a trait that was more than a little annoying. Innes would potentially be a good advisor, but honestly, she doubted he cared enough about Tana to make a good call.

“...I trust you, Lyon. I’ll bring you the Stone,” Eirika told him. She heard the swish of a cloak, and her fever instantly vanished. She sat upright, her eyes open, but there was no hint as to Lyon’s means of arriving. She wondered, vaguely, if she had imagined it, before she began plotting ways to get the Sacred Stone.

* * *

L’Arachel approached Seth, wringing her hands. She wasn’t sure if Seth was the man to look to, even considering his role in the problem. L’Arachel took in a breath, and spoke up.

“Hello, Seth,” she said. She never said she’d open with the problem.

“L’Arachel, what woke you up?” Seth asked, checking on the Sacred Stone.

“...I’m worried about Eirika,” L’Arachel confessed. Seth took a moment to consider that.

“Aren’t we all? Is there anything that makes your concern…” Seth muttered. L’Arachel began to blush. This was now or never.

“...I like her?” L’Arachel squeaked out. Seth jumped, not quite expecting that response.

“...You… like her? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand…” Seth stated.

“You wouldn’t… it’s… I never thought I… I can’t be, Latona’s child would never…” L’Arachel stammered out. Seth, with quite a bit of experience, had an inkling as to what L’Arachel’s issue was.

“...You love her?” Seth asked. L’Arachel nodded, her head sinking into her hands. Seth stepped forward, and gave her a stroke on the back.

“No one’s judging you for it,” Seth told her.

“...I am a holy maiden. Divine daughter of Latona. Romantic love for a fellow woman… it’s just not done!” L’Arachel cried.

“And why is that?” Seth asked. L’Arachel opened her mouth, before stumping herself.

“...Read the scripts again, and if you can’t find anything… I would give you my blessing to pursue Eirika, but I don’t know how she feels,” Seth suggested. L’Arachel nodded, beaming with excitement, before her face fell.

“You remember a passage?” Seth asked. L’Arachel shook her head, and pointed. Seth remembered his duty, and turned. The Sacred Stone was missing.

* * *

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I ruined everything, I’m sorry!” L’Arachel continued to cry out. Ephraim and Lute had been woken, and were searching the scene for clues as to the thief’s identity.

“Apologise again, and we’ll start blaming you,” Seth growled in annoyance. Lute’s eyes lit up, and she found the place in which the intruder had snuck into the Stone’s tent. She peered closely at the opposite end of the fabric, and found an odd set of tracks.

“Artur, can you check the past?” Ephraim asked, looking at some of the sights around the Stone’s resting place. He peered closely, spotting what appeared to be a long hair. He picked it up, and peered at it to determine its colour.

“...False alarm,” Artur stated. Ephraim turned to him, the hair still in his hand.

“Who took the Stone?” Ephraim asked.

“Princess Eirika,” Artur stated. Ephraim breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to the hair. Sure enough, it was blue. He dropped the hair, dusted his hands, and went to go see Eirika in her tent.

“...Wait, when did Eirika’s fever clear up?” Ephraim asked.

“Why does Eirika want the Stone, anyway?” Lute added. Artur waved the divining rod, and focused. His eyebrows knitted together, and he waved it again.

“...Interference?” Artur asked, trying a third time.

“Knoll did mention they were cheap toys more than useful guides,” Amelia pointed out. Ephraim looked up, and Ross, Amelia and Ewan approached from the vague direction of Eirika’s footprints.

“And what gives you the right to walk up and criticise us?” Artur asked. Ross pointed to the tracks.

“We saw them when we woke up, and followed them. They go way past the camp boundaries… and they seem to be heading right for Mt. Neleras,” Ross told him. Ephraim ran forward, nudging past the three kids to confirm the sight for himself. The tracks were determined, consistent, and in no way hindered by a fever.

“Eirika… what did you do?” Ephraim called, a quaver in his voice that clearly carried the feeling of foreboding this carried. The princess of Renais taking her Stone into the depths of a volcano without a word of warning to anyone.

* * *

Eirika marched through Mt. Neleras with purpose. The heat and stench were far more intense here, but she felt something odd within her that seemed to protect her from both. As she walked, she noticed intricate eggs on either side. The eggs were pulsating oddly, but didn’t react to Eirika’s presence. She breathed a sigh of relief, and approached an odd rock formation that resembled an altar. To one side of it was Tana’s stone statue. At the altar’s head was Prince Lyon.

“Eirika… you made it! Did you bring the Stone?” Lyon asked. Eirika nodded, and pulled it out. Lyon smiled at the sight.

“Very good, my… wait, can I say that?” Lyon asked.

“...If it makes you happy, though I can’t help but feel I’m getting attention from more people than I can handle. So why are we doing the ritual in here, anyway?” Eirika asked. Lyon held his arm up dramatically, pointing to the volcanics behind him.

“The Sacred Stone alone would not be enough. My magic will be enhanced by this powerful place. Now please, the Stone,” Lyon asked. Eirika stepped forward, holding the Stone out. Something nagged at the corner of her mind, as Lyon took the Stone, and approached the statue.

_ “Restore this maiden to her mobile state!”  _ Lyon casted. Nothing happened. Eirika ran up, curious as to what went wrong.

“...I don’t get it,” Lyon asked. Eirika looked around. Nothing looked out of place… but then again, she didn’t understand the ritual in the first place.

“...Oh… I see what it is,” Lyon stated. Eirika turned, and watched Lyon throw the Stone to the ground, where it shattered into several sharp-looking shards.

“...What did you do that for?” Eirika asked. She wasn’t even sure there  _ was _ an answer Lyon could give.

“That stone was a fake. There’s no way I could’ve cured Tana with it,” Lyon observed. Eirika turned to the Stone. It did seem weird that the Stones would shatter into glass…

“I didn’t know. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming…” Eirika started. Lyon heard the sound of hooves on brimstone.

“...But they figured it out. Eirika, if they find me, they’ll kill me…” Lyon muttered.

“Don’t worry… go! I’ll figure out what went wrong!” Eirika exclaimed.

“No, they’re going to hate you, too… and there’s no way I could handle that,” Lyon told her. He ran to the back of the altar, to where a pool of lava leading to the volcano’s centre rested. He reached into his robes, and pulled something out.

“Lyon?” Eirika asked.

“Eirika, I want nothing more than your safety. Will you come with me?” Lyon asked, holding out his other hand. Eirika took in a deep breath.

* * *

Ephraim and L’Arachel peered into the depths of Mt. Neleras. Somewhere within there, Eirika and Lyon were waiting. Neimi had assured them of that. They steeled themselves, and nodded. They charged forward, knowing that without a Stone at the ready, there was no stopping the Demon King. It was all they could hope for to get Eirika out- and if they were fortunate, the Sacred Stone. They charged without mind of their surroundings, and came out to face Prince Lyon and Princess Eirika standing beside a pit of lava. L’Arachel looked around, and noticed Princess Tana and a pile of glass shards. Both charged forward, only to be frozen by an enchantment.

“Eirika! Lyon is the Demon King!” Ephraim called. Eirika’s gasp carried across, and L’Arachel pulled her arms to reach her tomes. They were unresponsive, but she had to.

“And where do you stand to make that accusation?” Eirika asked. Ephraim gasped. In one sentence, Eirika had given the momentum to Lyon. And now Ephraim had to prove that he was not to be trusted.

“...Eirika, I’ve met and fought with Lyon twice in the past week. He’s the one who jailed Knoll, he’s the one who destroyed the Sacred Stone of Grado, and from the looks of it, Renais too,” Ephraim started.

“Lyon helped Lute get the Sacred Stone of Renais. It’s you who’s done something to it- it was a fake I stole,” Eirika told him. Ephraim gasped. It was obvious where the fake came from.

“We didn’t set the fake- Lyon did, before he gave the Stone to Lute!” Ephraim pointed out.

“I don’t believe you. Lute is not that unobservant. She would’ve noticed,” Eirika pointed out. Ephraim thought back to his conversations, looking for one last weapon.

“...He doesn’t like you, Eirika. He wants your body, yes, but that’ll be as far as it goes. Why would Lyon have allowed Orson to duel you and risk your death?” Ephraim asked.

“He has done nothing but look out for my health, physical and emotional. Lyon… take me,” Eirika said firmly. Lyon took her hand, and vanished. Both Ephraim and L’Arachel were suddenly freed from their immobility, and tumbled forward slightly. They missed what Lyon left behind, but there was no mistaking the rumble that it caused.

“...When was the last time this place erupted?” Ephraim asked.

“...Not recently enough. Ephraim, grab Tana,” L’Arachel stated. Ephraim noticed the statue, and pulled it onto his horse. L’Arachel was watching the escape route, gorgons converging onto it to block their path, and more appearing out of eggs.

“Ephraim, hold onto Tana for dear life, and when I say go, urge your horse to run as fast as you can,” L’Arachel stated.

“What about the gorgons?” Ephraim asked, preparing to do as L’Arachel suggested. L’Arachel readied her Shine tome. She was punching a hole, not slaying the monsters…

“Charge,” L’Arachel stated. Both horses shot forward like an arrow, L’Arachel casting her spells as quick as possible. She struggled to aim for gorgons that would still be a nuisance when the spell materialised, so she switched to dispelling ominous spells. She twisted in her saddle, hitting a few shadowshots from behind, before turning forward and running straight into a demon surge. Her horse broke pace, as Ephraim pulled ahead. He stopped, turning to her.

“Go! Save yourself!” L’Arachel cried. Ephraim pulled L’Arachel onto the back of his horse, who quavered slightly under the weight of two people and a statue. He urged it forward, and they charged a slightly slower gallop. L’Arachel turned back to her own horse, which was quickly consumed by the oncoming gorgons.

“...Goodbye,” L’Arachel whispered, as Ephraim crested the entrance to Mt. Neleras. Everyone hustled forward, eager to hear what happened, only for the sounds of Neleras’s eruption to explain for them. They ran for their horses, and joined Ephraim in a gallop.

* * *

Mt. Neleras’s eruption did not consume the entire forest, as might be expected from a volcanic eruption. Lute suspected this might be because Lyon engineered it to be so, but that didn’t mean she, Artur, Ewan and Knoll weren’t about to cast their spells to quell the lava as soon as they had ascertained that it could be done. Ephraim sat by L’Arachel, who remained troubled by the encounters.

“Princess L’Arachel… I want to ask you something,” Ephraim stated. L’Arachel nodded vaguely, still thinking about the events that transpired in the volcano’s depths.

“...Can Lyon be redeemed as he is now?” Ephraim asked. L’Arachel shook her head. That was an easy one.

“The lore of the Heroes tells us of one encounter with possession… at one juncture, the Demon King attempted to possess Latona. It was only with quick intervention and what I now understand to be her bond with Emrys that she could fight it, and even then, it was rather close. Prince Lyon has no such bond with Eirika no matter how he deludes himself, has been possessed for what I believe might be a year, and most damningly, took the Demon King in willingly. You can’t talk him out of it,” L’Arachel stated. Ephraim nodded.

“I never intended to. All you’ve told me to expect is that I’m not going to be dragging him, kicking and screaming, back on our side after a good beating. It’s Eirika I’m worried about… I don’t think we ever actually told  _ her _ Lyon was evil,” Ephraim explained. L’Arachel went to point out the occasion, before remembering the facts. He had gloated to Ephraim at Gormlaithe. He had remained out of sight and let Delphine do the work at Nadaku. He had made few appearances in Presea, and if anything, had sowed the seeds of his kind facade for Eirika. And Eirika had been taken out by a fever at Narube… a fever that had mysteriously cleared when the time came for Eirika to steal the Sacred Stone.

“...Do you think Eirika’s going to assist him willingly?” L’Arachel asked.

“He can’t keep the facade forever. If she catches wind he’s allied with Delphine, their alliance is shattered. But I’m worried about her… Lyon keeps mentioning that he likes Eirika romantically. A Lyon with the Demon King’s powers and darkness would do unspeakable things to maintain control over Eirika…” Ephraim explained. L’Arachel shivered herself.

“...But we’re not going to let that happen, are we?” L’Arachel asked, fear still in her voice.

“We are going to Morva, we are getting the Sacred Stone of Rausten, we are going to restore Tana to normal, and then we are getting Eirika back,” Ephraim told her. L’Arachel nodded, getting to her feet.


	24. Nightmare in Morva

_ Lyon’s twisted plan has born fruit: Princess Eirika has absconded with the Sacred Stone, shattering it and group morale. Monsters encroach upon Magvel in great numbers. However, all is not lost- so long as the Sacred Stone of Rausten stands, the Demon King may still be defeated. L’Arachel leads her companions to the mighty Morva, Rausten’s capital. _

* * *

 

L’Arachel invited the group to spread about and relax within Morva. She led Ephraim himself to a large, elaborate throne room in which Pontifex Mansel waited. L’Arachel ran forward to hug her uncle, while Ephraim watched from afar. A part of him was watching the sight of L’Arachel reconnecting with her parental figure, while the rest was considering with what words to describe the situation. He was already missing Eirika and her diplomacy.

“Greetings, Prince Ephraim Sivardson. My niece speaks highly of you,” Mansel stated, bringing Ephraim into the conversation.

“She does? I was not under the impression I had done anything worth speaking highly about,” Ephraim stated with modesty. Eirika had always said to act modest in the face of a compliment… at least, that was Ephraim’s recollection.

“You truly are a fine one. Shame they don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore… you’d make a great husband for her,” Mansel stated. Ephraim jumped.

“Not to worry, L’Arachel has assured me that you have your own commitment to Princess Tana. I was just expressing my sadness that the other Princes on offer are… less than stellar,” Mansel assured him.

“I don’t see how. Joshua’s a great guy- he’s just taken, like I am. Innes has his faults, but he’ll certainly be a great king. He also might be taken- I can never tell with him. It’s Lyon that’s the only really terrible one…” Ephraim pointed out, his mind drifting to the irony of the statement. As little as a year ago, he might have claimed the opposite about Lyon and Innes, and didn’t even know a thing about Joshua. Strange, how war changes your opinions.

“Yes… the Demon King that has taken your friend. And your sister, too, in a more literal meaning of the word. Rest assured, Rausten stands firmly behind the order of righteousness and justice. You’ll have our Sacred Stone and be on your way to the fell beings of Darkling Woods tomorrow,” Mansel stated. Ephraim raised an eyebrow.

“Why can’t we go tonight?” Ephraim asked. Mansel jumped dramatically.

“Good heavens, boy! Aren’t you exhausted? Do your men not need time to collect themselves and replenish their supplies?” Mansel pointed out enthusiastically. Ephraim gave a weak smile.

“I suppose I must, then… though before I go, I must ask one question. What would you know about undoing petrification magic?” Ephraim asked. Mansel raised an eyebrow curiously, looking to L’Arachel. L’Arachel whispered something into his ear, and Mansel’s eyes widened in understanding.

“It pains me to say that I do not. I will permit your mages to help study the Sacred Stone and see if they can crack that particular power,” Mansel assured him. Ephraim nodded weakly, and left the room to find where Lute took the Tana statue.

“Uncle... what if we can’t?” L’Arachel softly cried. Mansel didn’t even need to ask what she meant.

“...Be there for him. And that goes regardless. Form a bond of trust with him,” Mansel stated. L’Arachel took in a breath, and nodded.

* * *

Ephraim entered the room Lute had told him had been reserved for his rest, and noticed that Tana’s statue had been placed in there for him. He closed the door behind himself, and approached her.

“Tana…” he started, unsure of how to continue. He was fairly confident that Tana didn’t have any awareness in the first place.

“...I want to marry you, Tana. You’re strong and fiery… I don’t care that we know a common ancestor. They’re so distant that it doesn’t matter. Besides… I know you loved me. I shouldn’t have tried to push you away… I was young and uncertain. I still am… and I know you’ll continue to guide me past that,” Ephraim told her. He considered how strange it was to be talking to a statue, and turned to the door. He decided to change into a nightrobe before he went to move Tana. He wasn’t sure why… especially since he half-hoped Tana still had awareness.

* * *

Innes fired another perfect shot. The targets weren’t exactly placed in difficult positions, to avoid disturbing the people who needed rest, so Innes contented himself with aiming for minor blemishes in the wood of the targets, blemishes that were far less visible than the bright yellow bullseye.

“Hey, Innes…” L’Arachel’s familiar drawl sounded.

*Thud*

“Were you just waiting for Eirika to leave?” Innes asked, looking for another target to strike.

“...N-no… How could you say that?” L’Arachel asked. Another thud.

“So you claim to have changed,” Innes remarked simply.

“Innes… I don’t actually have feelings for you. When you came to Morva years ago, I thought I did… but all this time later…” L’Arachel remarked. A clatter- this time Nidhogg had fallen to the ground.

“You mean…” Innes started.

“Innes… I will never marry for love. I don’t fall in love like I should. Innes… you’re the only one I can turn to. I want you to marry me,” L’Arachel stated. Innes looked on in confusion.

“...Innes, look around. Prince Jehanna is marrying a Grado priestess. Prince Renais is marrying Princess Frelia. Rausten remains aloof, Princess L’Arachel Latonase the only heiress… and Prince Frelia is the best tie I’ve got to make,” L’Arachel pointed out.

“Yeah, but L’Arachel… I’m in love with Vanessa. I’m not available,” Innes pointed out. L’Arachel looked down.

“...You know, I didn’t want to be an imposition. I wanted your hand, yes, but after that, I’d be perfectly happy to leave you with your country and your pegasus knight,” L’Arachel pointed out.

“...I’m sorry, but the answer is still no. That’s not a marriage I want to be a part of… and I can tell you’ll be unhappy if I try to force it,” Innes observed, picking Nidhogg back up. L’Arachel nodded forlornly, wondering if she was to be the maiden Latona wasn’t.

“L’Arachel…” Innes called. L’Arachel turned, hopeful.

“...About what I said earlier… about wanting to shoot you? I… I apologise… I should never have said that,” Innes stated. L’Arachel politely nodded, and continued, frustrated still.

* * *

Finn observed the Rausten mages on watch, noting their unique patterns that take advantage of the fact of their magic being more flexible than a normal watch’s spears and swords. He didn’t think he’d ever have to worry about making a defence out of mages, but learning was always useful.

“Heh heh heh… guards. There’s nothing more foolish,” a sinister voice cackled from the forest. A pair of Rausten sages cast a light spell to illuminate where the voice originated from, but no one was visible.

“Fooled you once, shame on me,” the voice cackled again. His spot was illuminated again to be empty.

“And yet fool you twice, shame on you. Shame on you fools,” the voice continued. A third illumination, and Finn sensed the speaker right behind him.

“Scared of what the night has to hide, are we?” the speaker asked, before Finn grabbed him. A light spell illuminated him as Riev, Blood Beryl of Grado, before he disintegrated.

“The night has many secrets… and Rausten, too, will join them. May the light of Rausten be consumed by approaching darkness…” Riev laughed. The darkness to the east seemed to move, and the east wall buckled. Finn jumped a mile.

“I wonder what could have done that…” Riev chuckled, as the gates opened. The nearest mages ran to close them shut, but not before several things surged into the castle. Both soldiers in black armour and monsters tinged black could be found in the army, though trying in the pitch-black night descending on them was an exercise in and of itself. The nearest mages were slaughtered, and those slightly further away elected to cause a small explosion of magic on their person to take down as many enemies as they could hope. Finn ran towards the throne room.

* * *

Ephraim watched idly as several of Rausten’s finest mages, in addition to Lute and Artur, worked with the Sacred Stone and Tana to try and restore her. L’Arachel and Mansel were present, too, though their magic was hardly going to be helping. The door burst open, and Finn ran in, panting heavily.

“Riev… monsters… overrun… black… night…” Finn breathed. Ephraim rushed to him, calming him down, while some of the mages stopped their extortions.

“Black night?” one asked. Finn took in a deep breath, and nodded.

“He kept talking about the night. And his army wears black, and it’s hard to pick them out of the darkness…” Finn explained. The mages looked between each other.

“Subere incubo… the Black Nightmare,” the mages said amongst each other.

“We can counter it… but the White Daydream requires quite a bit of work to prepare. We’ll need people on the defence,” the mages explained.

“...Finn, find as many people as you can,” Ephraim stated. Finn nodded, and Ephraim drew Siegmunde.

“I’ll be defending this hall. You can use White Daydream from here, right?” Ephraim asked. The mages nodded, and turned to Mansel.

“Father, let me do it,” L’Arachel stated. Ephraim looked curious, but Lute seemed to have an inkling as to what ‘it’ was.

“L’Arachel… do you think you can?” Mansel asked.

“White Daydream requires happy memories with those it seeks to protect… I know these people. I want to defend them. My memories will be stronger,” L’Arachel told him. Mansel nodded, and gave L’Arachel a hug. L’Arachel reciprocated, before standing in the middle of a circle of mages. The mages began casting, and a white light appeared above L’Arachel’s head.

“What sort of cue am I waiting for?” Ephraim asked.

“If you don’t move from that spot, it should be ready by the time you’re inside it. That’s assuming the Black Nightmare is just over the castle,” Mansel stated. Ephraim watched the orb grow- L’Arachels wrists were just enveloped, and it looked like it might take a while to reach her elbows.

“This doesn’t look promising…” Ephraim stated, worried about his army.

* * *

Finn approached the halls where Ephraim’s army resided, to see Moulder and Natasha casting light shields at either end. Moulder lowered his briefly to allow Finn past, while Finn lanced the enterprising black shape that took advantage of that.

“The rules have changed to an endurance round. L’Arachel is preparing a spell called the White Daydream to counter the ‘Black Nightmare’ summoning these things,” Finn told them. The two looked between each other.

“Should we retreat and cover less ground?” Moulder asked Natasha. Natasha looked at her barrier- what appeared to be some kind of dragon bashed against it, sending her knees buckling.

“Please,” Natasha stated. Finn gave a call, and everyone hustled out of their rooms in varying states of readiness. Few had the armour ready to fight, and fewer had weapons. Everyone hustled to the rooms in the centre, Moulder and Natasha drawing back. Finn edged in, and noticed Neimi and Syrene counting her girls. Finn didn’t know how many men there should be, but he pointed this out to Seth to get started. He looked around, and realised Innes was missing.

“...We are so in trouble…” Finn growled.

* * *

Lute looked at Tana’s statue, knowing it would be folly to try and restore her while the Rausten Mages were preparing the White Daydream. On the other hand, she had no idea what options were left. They had been racking their brains by the time the White Daydream started. They had tried spell in the tomebook, and none had considered any staves…

An idea occurred to Lute. It was crazy, but it just might work. She grabbed a Restore staff, and waved it. The staff’s light didn’t turn on. Lute growled, and tried again.

“May I?” Mansel asked, approaching her. Lute passed him the staff, and he waved it. The Restore staff’s tip lit up, and a green light bathed over Tana’s statue. Lute stepped back, as Tana’s movements began to restore. She swung Audhulma overhead, meeting no resistance, and returned to a resting stance.

“...Where’s Achaeus?” Tana asked. Lute laughed. Trust Tana to choose that question, of all things.

“She’s in the stables, with the other mounts,” Lute told her. Tana let out a shrill whistle, and ran past Ephraim without a word. Ephraim turned to L’Arachel, and the white light surrounding her began expanding exponentially quicker.

“Lute, what did you do?” Ephraim asked. Lute took the Restore staff from Mansel, and held it up vaguely. Ephraim had to hold in a laugh.

* * *

Prince Innes smirked, the incoming hordes of the Black Nightmare failing to hide from him. He emptied his quiver once again, but the arrows disappeared once more, as more beings replaced those shot down. He refilled the quiver, wondering how many arrows he had left to fire, before he felt a jerk around his midriff. He was being held, quite barely, onto the back of a pegasus. His legs scrabbled around to mount the thing, and he looked back at the Black Nightmare.

“Thanks for saving me, Vanessa,” Innes remarked. A girlish giggle responded- a familiar one. Innes jumped, seeing Tana in front of him instead of Vanessa or Syrene.

“Disappointed?” Tana asked, still beaming cutely, but her eyes were sweeping the ground around the castle. Innes did so too, but did not ultimately find whatever Tana wanted to find.

“Surprised. Did you really think I celebrated your petrification?” Innes asked.

“Wouldn’t put it past you. Here’s our stop,” Tana called, pulling into a dive. Innes grabbed onto Tana’s waist, as Achaeus quickly dived and landed on top of a red-clad figure outside the castle.

“...Ouch,” he muttered vaguely. Innes dismounted, and Tana looped around to face the bishop Riev as he slowly got to his feet.

“All right, buster. Tell us what that witch has planned, and you might survive the night!” Tana yelled, Innes nocking an arrow to punctuate Tana’s question with.

“Heh heh heh… right. I don’t think I’m going to be doing much after you dropped a pegasus on me. Perhaps I should retire to a nice big beach, with a nice big drink, and a woman with nice big bags of ice for my head…” Riev muttered. A block of ice appeared above his head, and dropped onto his skull. Riev dropped to the ground- the question of whether he’d get up again not particularly encouraging. Delphine strutted towards the pair, her lip curling in distaste.

“You’re up and about? How did that happen?” Delphine asked.

“Lute figured out how to undo petrification,” Tana told her. Delphine snarled.

“Lute? You mean that girl Lyon mentioned has Emrys’s spirit? Of course she would… you little brats have been gaining too much power. There’s nothing I can do to you now… and it seems you’ve got a White Daydream ready anyway. I’ll just take Riev’s body and give you a sporting chance,” Delphine growled.

“A chance? Why would you do that?” Innes asked, his arrow still raised.

“Neither of you has the Sacred Stone. The one thing that can thwart Master’s plans… we need to destroy that thing. So I’m going to tell you that the ritual Master is preparing will be ready to complete in two night’s time, under the cover of the new moon. Come along… and bring that Sacred Stone. Well, nothing’s stopping that Latonase brat from casting that White Daydream, so I’m going to make like a tree and leaf,” Delphine explained, vanishing with a whip-like crack. A nearby tree came falling down, but Innes and Tana evaded it easily enough.

“...Spring the obvious trap?” Tana asked.

“Leave it to the tacticians to make that decision,” Innes told her with as much dignity as he could muster for such a ridiculous answer.

* * *

Everyone gathered in the throne room once the last of the Black Nightmare was dispelled. Quite a few had suffered injuries, but after the initial push, there appeared to be no major casualties for Ephraim’s troops. The Rausten mages, on the other hand, looked in much worse shape- a few bishops were ready with dispelling spells, but not everyone was lucky enough to be protected so easily.

“Can I call a meeting?” Innes asked, looking around for the army’s commanders. Neimi had weakened legs and Ephraim had a scar Innes was sure was new, but every commander that wasn’t L’Arachel had come closer to Innes.

“Where is L’Arachel, anyway?” Innes asked.

“Right here,” L’Arachel called. Innes turned to her, to see the heavy Ivaldi tome in her right arm, and the Staff of Latona in her left hand. She grinned cheekily, at odds with the queenly aura of Latona’s Sacred Twins, and stepped forward.

“We can use these things so long as we bring them back in one piece. I trust that won’t be too tricky,” L’Arachel stated. Innes raised an eyebrow, but L’Arachel holding Ivaldi out to Artur immediately explained it.

“...You don’t want to use it?” Innes asked.

“I’m nowhere near ready to use such powerful magic. My Divine tomes need work,” L’Arachel pointed out. This was true, but Innes was still shocked L’Arachel pointed it out. L’Arachel blinked, realising the shock she caused Innes.

“...Innes, the world is in danger. Besides, I never did think I’d ever use Ivaldi even in my dizziest daydreams,” L’Arachel pointed out. Tana sighed.

“If you’ll kindly stop bickering like an old married couple, I believe you wanted to mention something about what Delphine told us,” Tana pointed out. Innes nodded, looking away from L’Arachel to address Lute.

“Right… Delphine’s Master is planning for the ritual to occur in two night’s time, at the ‘new moon’,” Innes explained.

“Makes sense… the new moon is when neither sun nor moon is observing the world,” Mansel remarked.

“Gives us enough time to prepare, though,” Ephraim pointed out. Mansel nodded.

“I will inform Anna that you will need to acquire weapons suitable for surviving in Darkling Woods. She will have them prepared by then, and I will personally take the bill,” Mansel stated. Ephraim nodded, content with that.

“Well, I suppose the rest of us need to do our own preparations,” Ephraim stated. Everyone nodded, and those without injuries left to check on their equipment. Mansel would undoubtedly upgrade those with poor or worn sets, but making sure those who would need it knew they did was important.

“Ephraim, do you have something you want to ask me?” Tana asked, as Ephraim went to do the same. Ephraim looked at her curiously, as she nervously smiled.

“...I was aware, you know,” Tana stated. Ephraim nodded, and then his eyes widened with realisation.

“...Well, I… it’s not really a surprise anymore… I don’t…” Ephraim muttered. Everyone still in the room shared a meaningful glance.

“Not any reason to delay, though. You brought it with you,” Tana pointed out. Ephraim pulled out the small box.

“Tana… will you…” Ephraim stuttered out, but Tana rolled her eyes.

“Of course I will!” Tana stated before Ephraim got to finish, pulling him into a massive hug anyway.

“And don’t worry, Ephraim… we’ll get our sister back,” Tana whispered into his ear. Ephraim smiled at the encouragement.

* * *

“Ewan!” Lute called. Ewan turned to her, curiosity in his eyes, as she approached with a small box in hand. Ewan had no idea what it might’ve carried.

“What is that?” Ewan asked, leaning forward. Lute held it out, and Ewan opened it. Inside was a wooden stick.

“...I don’t get it,” Ewan remarked. Lute rolled her eyes.

“It’s a wand. You asked for one, remember?” Lute asked. Ewan’s eyes lit up, and he waved it. Balls of light appeared in the path Ewan had drawn, and Ewan waved the wand again. The balls began moving in a looping pattern.

“...How did you make this?” Ewan asked.

“Rausten’s mages are very good at this kind of thing. They found a good wood and procured what I believe was a pegasus tail-hair to craft it. I’m hopeful it’ll work- and if it is better than tomes, well, we have a secret weapon for Delphine,” Lute pointed out. Ewan pointed in the distance, and recited Flux’s incantation. A dark orb appeared, and Ewan hurriedly dispelled it before anything got damaged.

“I’ll be ready,” Ewan assured Lute.


	25. Enchanting Woods

_ The Demon King is imprisoned by Emrys’s plan, shackled by five powerful Stones. Through the efforts of Prince Lyon, four of those Stones have been shattered, and the Demon King is approaching the surface, ready to wreak havoc once more. One Sacred Stone remains, and regardless of the victorious side in this war, it must be present at Darkling Woods to bring about said victory. The defeat of the Demon King at the hands of Marin occurred in a temple deep within the now sickened forest, and Ephraim now approaches said temple. Monsters harry his approach, as the Demon King’s very Essence fights against his victory... _

* * *

 

Lyon smirked as he approached the temple. A man was standing guard outside of it, his arms folded in cold fury. The Demon King recognised the figure… Morva, of the Darkling Woods. His scales were instrumental for Emrys to create the Sacred Stones. Figures the manakete lived long enough to be a thorn in his side again.

“Hold. I can sense the presence of powerful magic emanating from you. I want you to tell me how you got it,” Morva stated. Lyon chuckled.

“If you must know, I got it from Lyon Marinsdatter,” he remarked. Morva tilted his head, recognising the surname. But a Marinsdatter would hardly be the more powerful of a pair in regards to magic…

“...You’re the Demon King,” Morva remarked.

“In other news, water is wet. Don’t bore me, Morva. All your little friends are gone, long dead. I think you’d want to join them, wouldn’t you?” Lyon asked. Morva chuckled.

“You’re mad, Fomortiis. I remain alive to make sure their fight was not in vain. It is my duty to make sure that you stop here,” Morva growled, transforming into his dragon form.

“Oh, is the conversation over? I had hoped for more…” Lyon remarked. A spell hit Morva from behind, as Delphine petrified him. Wise to Sivardson’s newfound counter to the petrification spell, Delphine shattered the statue.

“Do we know if he’s dead now?” Lyon asked, looking around at the rubble. Delphine kicked the shards around, at least a few landing in a lake Lyon recalled being in the area.

“I do know I can make Servants out of petrified people as well as dead ones, so it doesn’t matter. I’d honestly prefer him to still be alive… it would be so much more torturous,” Delphine cackled. Lyon smirked.

“I’ll be starting the ritual. Remember, I’ll need you to help me finish it,” Lyon told her. Delphine summoned a dracozombie imbibed with Morva’s strength.

“I’ll be there,” Delphine cackled, twirling her wand. She had more than a few other ideas to send forward… and if they failed, Berserk and Silence never did.

* * *

Ephraim looked up from the most recent batch of monsters. Baels and Maelduins were certainly steps up from Wights and the Entombed, but as they were, everyone had the strength to hold up against them. Myrrh was looking across the forest- without her Dragonstone, she was not as powerful as she might otherwise have been, but she still knew the way through the forest.

“Myrrh… how are you holding up?” Ephraim asked.

“Just fine, Ephraim…” Myrrh commented. Ephraim could tell that was the ‘I’m really not fine’ kind of fine, but Ephraim wasn’t quite sure what in particular to reassure her about.

“...That’s odd,” Tana remarked, shooting into the sky. Ephraim looked up, to see her battling against a pegasus knight, of all things. Ephraim looked around.

“Myrrh, can you detect the witch?” Ephraim asked.

“...North-west,” Myrrh stated. Ephraim couldn’t see her, but he suspected she was deeper into the woods.

“Delphine lies ahead! Forward!” Ephraim called.

* * *

Tana parried another of the falcoknight’s blows, at a loss as to who exactly she was fighting. What she could see was a falcoknight much like herself, the Frelian crest prominently displayed at her side. Tana was fairly certain that the exact design of the decoration did not match the style worn by Syrene, which was what caused the confusion.

“Who are you?” Tana asked. The falcoknight charged forward, and Tana caught her in the attempt, grabbing her reins. From there, disarming her was easy, and then Tana could descend and face the summon closely. Tana looked closely at the face, recognising her own blue eyes and hair amongst the many distortions that Delphine’s summons had.

“...Who are you?” Tana repeated. The falcoknight made a grab for Audhulma, but the hilt shone and pushed her away. Tana defeated the monster then and there, still trying to piece together who the beast was. She was coming up with several explanations, some of which were unlikely and others of which were potentially terrifying if true. She flew to try and find Ephraim, hoping she could before one of those nasty possibilities turned out to be true.

Truth be told, she hoped she wouldn’t have to try and explain her theories, not even to Lute.

* * *

Ephraim was running as fast as he could while still following Myrrh, and that kept his reflexes sharp. He could turn on the spot and block Gerik’s sudden swipe. Gerik’s superior constitution pushed him to the ground, though, and it was only with Marisa’s intervention that Ephraim wasn’t finished off quickly. Ephraim looked up, to see Natasha trying in vain to invoke the power of her Restore staff. Ephraim growled, knowing Delphine was nearby, and she was about to…

Wait… Natasha had done something he found really… really…

“Oh, how I love Berserk,” Delphine chuckled, watching Ephraim begin his charge. She looked around for a new target- the chaos she had created would diffuse eventually. It had to- otherwise there’d be no way for Eirika to have made her escape. She felt her broom shudder, and looked around. A second strike of some kind of light shot from the ground, and she began to descend. She angled her descent away from Ephraim’s group, aiming for a position that she knew would put a lot of distance between her and her attacker. As she fell, she began creating a horde of opponents for Ephraim to fight on the way to the Demon King’s palace, as she found her broomstick taking a sudden turn. She tried pulling at it, only for the broom to resolutely thud into the ground in front of a young boy.

“So you’re Miss Delphine…” the boy chuckled. Delphine got to her feet, grinning as she pulled out her wand.

_ “May your friends drive you Berserk!” _ Delphine cackled, throwing forward a Berserk spell. The boy waved his arm, and the charm dispelled. Delphine cast a Silence spell, to the same outcome.

“...Fine. I get it. You want to fight me? Let’s see how misguided you are…” Delphine chuckled. She disappeared into the darkness, awaiting the boy’s strike. He had chosen to surround himself with bright orbs of light. A foolish choice- Delphine’s Stone spell came rushing through one of the gaps. The boy reflected that one with ease, and it was only then that Delphine noticed the chunk of wood in his hands.

“You have a wand… you are as versed in wandlore as I?” Delphine asked, reappearing in the corporeal world despite herself.

“Of course!” the boy exclaimed. Delphine tilted her head. He did not seem to be as versed as she expected. She shrugged- he could wield one, he could duel like a proper wizard. Delphine shot a Torture Curse forward, which the boy blocked again. Delphine’s eyes lit up- something here was wrong. The boy should not be blocking spells that well- she was sure the Torture Curse couldn’t be blocked. Or maybe she was thinking of something else.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her cloak being set on fire. She shot a glare at the boy, only for the orbs of light to shine a little brighter.

“Very well, then…” Delphine muttered, pulling off her hat.

* * *

Ewan looked in Delphine’s direction, confused by the her movement. She had taken off her hat, and from what he could see, her eyes were definitely not normal. But from the way she glared intently at Ewan, he could’ve sworn that she believed her eyes would have some kind of innate ability to do something to him.

“...Now what?” Ewan called. Delphine stepped back, confused. Ewan noticed she didn’t blink: maybe her eyes did have something. Delphine began casting again.

_ Torture Curse, counter by- _

Ewan cast the counter-curse, not needing the reminder the Illuminators provided. What he needed was to begin his offensive. He fired several jets of light around, several of which struck Delphine to what appeared to be little effect. The witch had some form of endurance against the spells, that much was certain. But that simply meant he had to try harder.

_ “I summon the power of Gleipnir!”  _ Ewan casted, throwing his left hand into it. A disc of light surrounded Delphine, binding her arms to her sides and preventing her from moving. A rain of purple-flamed meteors rained down from above, each one somehow striking Delphine. Delphine dropped to the ground, panting heavily. Ewan made his move- he ran forward, and pulled Delphine up by her collar.

“It looks like you don’t have the energy to continue…” Ewan grinned.

“How… I have the power of the dragonstone!” Delphine cackled. Ewan searched her with his free hand, and pulled the dragonstone out of her pocket. He passed it to a figure to his left, and eyed her thoughtfully.

“...Lute suspected I would duel you, so she lent me this,” Ewan told her, pulling aside his cloak to reveal the wyvernstone at his side. Delphine gasped, as Ephraim stepped forward. A lunge forward, and Delphine completely vanished, leaving only her robe still in Ewan’s hand, Siegmunde having left a hole in its side.

“...Let’s try not to think about a naked Delphine somewhere,” Ewan joked. Everyone in range let out a muted gagging sound, and Ephraim gave him a gentle knock on the head.

“If you don’t want us to think about something, don’t mention it,” Saleh laughed, the dragonstone still in his hands. Myrrh approached, and Saleh knelt to present it to her.

“My… my dragonstone… thank you, kind human,” Myrrh told Ewan, taking it into her hands. She looked up, noticing a small horde of shambling servants of Delphine. Riev looked much like he did outside Morva to Innes, but the rest were clearly undeads.

“A-Allow me…” Myrrh mumbled, holding the dragonstone in her hands. Everyone stepped back, allowing her space to transform into her dragon form. She let out a proud roar, sending a blast of flame forward. When the last of the Dragon’s Breath cleared, there was no sign that there had ever been a horde of druids in the first place.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side, little sister,” Ephraim chuckled, as Myrrh reverted to her regular form. Myrrh gave a similar chuckle, a light fading from her eyes. Ephraim, who had recontinued the march at a cautious pace, did not notice.

* * *

Gerik marched quite a distance from Ephraim’s group. After a quick discussion between Marisa and Tethys, Marisa went to join him, eyeing him with a vague curiosity one might afford something unfamiliar and interesting. Gerik ignored her for some time, before deciding he’d best talk to her.

“I don’t deserve sympathy, Marisa,” Gerik stated simply.

“Gerik, you’re a kind person,” Marisa told him just as plainly.

“That’s why I hate it so much! I attacked my employer, wanted to kill you when you fought me off…” Gerik exclaimed. Marisa let him breathe a little after that outburst before adding her own piece.

“You were cursed by Delphine. It was a coward’s attack, and it was in no way your fault,” Marisa told him. Gerik shook his head.

“Lute saw me while I was practicing with the axe. Said mercenaries like myself who studied swords and axes were Heroes. I’m no hero, Marisa…” Gerik told her.

“You’re my hero, Gerik,” Marisa stated. Gerik blinked. It hadn’t been in any tone other than the one Gerik was most used to, but it was much different than what Marisa normally said. If he was correct this time…

“Marisa?” Gerik asked. He needed to risk it- he needed to know where they stood.

“Gerik? Do you… would you tell me…” Marisa started. Gerik had an inkling his suspicions were correct: Marisa never got nervous.

“I do, Marisa. You are my finest companion, after all,” Gerik told her. Marisa tilted her head in confusion, but Gerik cleared that up with a tight hug. Marisa smiled as she reciprocated, and when Gerik let go, Marisa held out her hand. Gerik took it, and let her guide him back in formation.

* * *

The group marched past several signs of unfortunate travellers as they entered this unknown part of the woods. For the most part, they did not stop to consider them… but for one pair, an exception was made. L’Arachel stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed a trio of skeletons, one of which was a horse, accompanied by scraps of fine cloth. Even at a distance, L’Arachel recognised Rausten’s crest on one of them.

“Not a pretty sight, hm?” a gruff voice called from behind her. L’Arachel turned, nudging aside her new pegasus to see the figure leaning against the tree more clearly. Unfortunately, he had hidden himself in the shadows quite well.

“Do you know who they are?” L’Arachel asked. A period of silence followed.

“You seem aware, so I will not open your wound by naming them. Rest assured I know of their identity,” the rogue remarked.

“You do… what do you think they think of me? I mean… I must be a disappointment to Rausten’s legacy…” L’Arachel quietly remarked.

“I assure you that you do not. I have researched your ancestry for personal reasons. I know for a fact that bluster like your own is not an uncommon trait in the Latonase bloodline,” the rogue remarked. L’Arachel shook her head.

“It’s not that. I know that- Uncle’s like that, too. It’s… something else… I have a preference…” L’Arachel started, her tears beginning anew.

“...I believe I have my suspicions about your ‘preference’. It is the reason you are less than amicable to Seth, correct?” the rogue asked.

“I… I have nothing but respect for Seth! Besides, he doesn’t seem to share my feelings for her…” L’Arachel started, before stopping herself. The rogue let out a clicking sound.

“You shouldn’t be bottling it up like that. Let people you trust know. Have people to talk about it to. And you never know… while I don’t think you’ll find the person you’re looking for in this army, I also don’t think she doesn’t exist,” the rogue suggested. L’Arachel turned to the bones again.

“You do not know your parents. It is unwise to linger on attempting to justify yourself based on their beliefs. But I also know that, on some level, all parents harbour some feeling of pride for their children. Some more so than others, but you and your parents are too similar for them to be thinking poorly of you just for your preference,” the rogue told her.

“I… I do not understand… but I suppose you are right. My parents will always appreciate my work in ridding the world of monsters. Now come, Rennac! We can’t miss out on defeating the Demon King!” L’Arachel called out, her confidence returning to her.

“Wha… how did you know it was me?” Rennac asked, coming out of the shadows.

“You don’t think I forgot your voice… or your payment?” L’Arachel asked. Rennac’s eyes lit up.

“You’re actually going to pay me?” Rennac asked. L’Arachel smiled.

“Everyone is different. Some people are motivated to success for the sake of success. Others prefer to actually see benefit from it. If you are right, and I am to allow myself to love Eirika in a way a woman should not, I should not be forcing others into positions that they are not comfortable with,” L’Arachel observed. Rennac smiled.

“You’ve grown,” Rennac remarked.

“All great legends do. Figured I might as well get into the act. Now I mentioned getting moving?” L’Arachel asked, mounting her pegasus. Rennac chuckled as he sunk into the shadows. L’Arachel urged her pegasus forward. She knew she had no way of knowing whether she beat Rennac to the army, but the race would be fun now.

* * *

Ephraim looked up at the sight before him at the temple. Looming in front of him was a dragon of some description. It was skeletal, like a monster summon, but it was unsteady on its feet and didn’t attack on sight. Ephraim peered closely at it, wondering what exactly it was.

_ F-finally…  _ a voice yelled in Ephraim’s head. Ephraim jumped, looking around for a possible speaker other than the dracozombie before him.

“Who are you?” Ephraim asked it, finding none.

_ I… I am Morva... Great Dragon... and acquaintance to the... Five Heroes,  _ Morva claimed. Ephraim could feel every word.

“What’s the matter?” Ephraim asked.

_ This… this body is not mine. I was petrified… and shattered… my spirit possesses this dracozombie... but I cannot hold it for long. Sivardson… kill me. Kill me… let my spirit move on… Or else I will be trapped as pebbles on the forest floor…  _ Morva told him. Ephraim nodded, readying Siegmunde. Myrrh stepped forward, looking at Morva. Morva gave her a long look, which Myrrh returned. Myrrh nodded, crying slightly, as she transformed. Her breath defeated the dracozombie, and it crumbled. With any luck, Morva was free to pass on to the afterlife… the Heroes would certainly welcome him.

“...Brother…” Myrrh sobbed. Ephraim turned to her, concerned.

“Was that your brother?” Ephraim asked. Myrrh shook her head.

“That was my father… at least, Morva was,” Myrrh told him. Ephraim dismounted, and placed a hand on Myrrh’s shoulder.

“Don’t tell me I was brave. That bag of bones wasn’t Father. I was helping him… after all, death is but the next great adventure, and if the bonebag didn’t die, he would miss it. I’m just… without him, his responsibility falls to me…” Myrrh told him.

“What responsibilities?” Ephraim asked. Myrrh looked down in shame.

“...Father never told me. He said I was to wait until he was ready… live my life free from worry until I needed to know. Now I won’t know… hopefully Saleh will. Or Dara,” Myrrh told him.

“...So you can’t live with us?” Ephraim asked.

“Sadly, no. I was kind of looking forward to it… if it weren’t for Delphine, Father might have outlived you, and I would’ve had your lifetime to spend with you,” Myrrh remarked. Ephraim chuckled.

“I guess we’d better make sure the Demon King gets fixed,” Ephraim laughed. Myrrh nodded, and the group looked up at the Temple.

It was time to march on it.

* * *

Lyon took in deep breaths. The Dark Stone was readied. Eirika was waiting quite patiently behind him for success. The statues of the Demon King’s Druids lined the walls, ready for their might to be added to the ritual. All that was missing was Delphine… right on cue, she appeared, without her hat or robe. Lyon knew something happened.

“Delphine… was your mission a success?” Lyon asked. Delphine shook her head, still resolutely looking down. Lyon knew unpleasant things happened to those that looked at the nothing in her eyes, and was happy Delphine avoided it, even if he couldn’t tell much about her reaction.

“I… I got beaten by a kid…” Delphine muttered.

“Sad, isn’t it? And you know what’s going to happen to you, right?” Lyon asked. Delphine nodded.

“I don’t care, Master. The ritual is more important… and that Sivardson bugger got me,” Delphine remarked, moving her hand from her body. Lyon, who assumed the arm was to preserve her modesty, saw it instead futilely stemmed the blood flow of her lance wound.

“So you return…” Lyon remarked.

“I’m not going to let him see me die. I won’t give him the satisfaction of victory. And you need my magic… do it now, Lyon. Before you need necromancy to use my power…” Delphine pointed out. Lyon nodded, and cast the petrification spell. Delphine smiled as the sensation of stone enveloping her body hustled forward. Her statue carried her sinister charm, even if the statue’s attempt at her eyes clashed horribly. Lyon moved the statue to stand opposite Riev’s, and stared at the entrance.

Sivardson would come soon. And Lyon would be ready.


	26. Wrath of the Demon King

“...And so we must depart…” Lyon remarked, watching as his friends waited by the castle gates for their retinue to finish preparations.

“You knew this moment would come eventually, Lyon. We couldn’t stay forever,” Ephraim pointed out.

“I know… but I’ll miss you, Eirika. I have a lot of work to do on the Sacred Stone, and I’ll miss having you around to keep me encouraged,” Lyon remarked. Eirika blushed furiously.

“I’ll see if I can’t convince Father to let me come and marry you eventually. That would require Ephraim here to learn some responsibility, though…” Eirika remarked, to Lyon’s amusement. Ephraim did not share in his laughter.

“I’ll have you know, Eirika, that our legacy is to remain in Renais,” Ephraim stated. Lyon chuckled again.

“No need to be so serious, Ephraim. There’s no way Eirika would be content with me after having a brother like you around,” Lyon chuckled. Eirika teasingly slapped him.

“Don’t say that. Ephraim is my brother, yes, and there’s no replacing that. But there are things that Ephraim can’t do for me,” Eirika pointed out. Both Lyon and Ephraim blushed thinking about those things.

“...I wish you the best in your research,” Eirika muttered, realising she had made them both uncomfortable. Lyon nodded.

“And I wish you the best in… well, you’ll have something I’ll support somewhere, I suppose,” Lyon mumbled, getting a laugh out of Ephraim. Eirika gave him a hug goodbye, and turned to the retinue. Ephraim was content with a firm handshake.

“I just want you to know that I trust you with my baby sister… if you do anything to hurt her…” Ephraim mumbled, too softly for Eirika to hear.

“Trust me, I’ll be too overworked to muster the strength to try,” Lyon half-joked. Ephraim gave him a brotherly pat on the back, and joined Eirika with the retinue.

Lyon looked up, smiling as Ephraim approached. His army spread about, and Lyon began considering the monsters he wanted to summon. Not for Ephraim- there was no way he was going to die to monsters, and Lyon certainly didn’t think to invite the possibility.

“Prince Lyon Marinsdatter…” Ephraim muttered.

“Prince Ephraim Sivardson. I’m glad you could make it,” Lyon chuckled.

“Lyon, out of everything you’ve done… I might’ve been able to stomach it all. But… you turned on your word. In perspective, I know it’s not much… but when it’s to do with my sister, it means more to me than the Sacred Stones you’ve dusted,” Ephraim boomed. Lyon smirked.

“Yes… your sister. Eirika, Sivardson’s here!” Lyon called. Ephraim gasped, as Eirika walked forward. It was hard to describe… Eirika was wearing a new tiara, her standard armour was replaced with a silver and purple colour scheme, but it was clear as day it was still Eirika. Eirika looked at Ephraim opposite, her eyes drifting across the group.

“Why do you resist, Sivardson? Darling Lyon’s going to take care of everything… everything will be made perfect!” Eirika called. Ephraim carefully considered her voice before responding. To his alarm, he could not detect any difference between now and Eirika’s normal voice.

“Eirika, Lyon’s lying to you! The Demon King won’t create a land of harmony… he’ll put the entire land under his tyrannical, malevolent rule! Humans won’t survive it!” Ephraim yelled. Eirika let out a sigh. It was as if they were still friends, and Ephraim had just said something reckless and ill-advised.

“You’re right, Lyon. He’s not going to get it. How much time do you think you’ll need?” Eirika asked. Lyon considered the Dark Stone.

“...Fifteen minutes?” Lyon asked. Eirika drew Sieglinde, and eyed Ephraim curiously.

“Sivardson looks uncomfortable. I reckon I could make it,” Eirika stated, kissing Lyon on the cheek before striding forward. Ephraim readied his own Siegmunde.

“Ephraim, let me handle this,” Seth remarked, stepping forward. But Ephraim held up his hand, forestalling him.

“Ephraim?” Seth asked.

“Seth… I am her brother. This is my duty,” Ephraim told him.

“But Ephraim, she loves me! Surely I could suffice while you handle Lyon!” Seth pointed out. Ephraim shook his head.

“She loved Lyon, too. When forced to choose between him and you… you’ve told her she has to choose someone more appropriate for her station,” Ephraim pointed out. Seth nodded, before his hand came to his mouth in realisation.

“Eirika does not hate you… but I do not believe she will sufficiently love you enough to abandon Lyon. Especially since Lyon seems to have given her some kind of charm to bias her to his side. But there’s no replacing her brother,” Ephraim pointed out.

“What about me?” Tana asked. Ephraim turned to her.

“You and L’Arachel need to lead the charge to stop Lyon from completing his ritual. Take Artur and Lute with you,” Ephraim suggested. Tana nodded, and readied her pegasus to fly. Ephraim looked forward at Eirika.

“Everyone else, it looks like we’ll need to fend off enemy forces long enough,” Seth observed. He and Duessel organised forces to spread across both sides, while Innes prepared the archers and mages for a ranged assault.

* * *

Ephraim stepped before Eirika, looking her up and down. If his theory was correct, she was not acting of her own pure thoughts… and he hoped he could isolate why. Perhaps a trinket she wore. As the idea occurred to him, his eyes immediately locked on to the tiara.

“Eirika, this isn’t you!” Ephraim led, knowing it was futile. But it wasn’t meant to break her enchantment- it was to give him weapons.

“Not me, Sivardson? Lyon is working to bring charity to Magvel! Think about it: no more poverty, everyone united under the one good king… what’s to disagree with?” Eirika asked.

“Monster attacks, that king being the human-hating Demon King… those impoverished people will probably be dead rather than helped,” Ephraim pointed out. Eirika laughed: it was a cold, cruel laugh Ephraim would never have expected out of himself, much less the more pacifistic younger sister.

“Human hating? Monster attacks? You’re so brainwashed by the legend of those Five that you don’t even spare a thought as to what the Demon King might actually be like! Lyon told me all about it… and just what those Five were,” Eirika told him.

“Like you’re one to talk about being brainwashed! Eirika, the Demon King attacked Marin when she hadn’t even done anything! Look at the kinds of people that joined him in this war- Caellach! Riev! Delphine!  _ Valter! _ You can’t mean to tell me that the Demon King has a shred of decency!” Ephraim roared.

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Only a strong ruler can resist the allure of corruption. And Lyon is a strong ruler,” Eirika stated.

“If Lyon gave any care as to what you wanted, why hasn’t Lyon so much as tried to get Tana and I on his good side? Granted, he’s not getting us, but you’d think he’d give it a passing effort!” Ephraim pointed out. Eirika’s eyes narrowed.

“I think I’ve had enough of you attempting to put down Lyon,” Eirika muttered, charging forward. Ephraim pulled Siegmunde forward, only to find it refused to budge. Ephraim dodged out of Sieglinde’s downward arc, only for it to transform into a sideways one in a hurry. Ephraim turned, putting Siegmunde in its path as best he could, as he tried to pull the thing around to face Eirika.

“Sister!” Ephraim called.

“I am not your sister, Sivardson. I am Eirika Marinsdatter, at least until we think of something that distances us from that mad axewoman,” Eirika stated, another swipe coming for Ephraim. Ephraim abandoned Siegmunde- the extra agility to dodge was worth more than the weapon that actively inhibited his movement.

“Perfect…” Eirika stated, smiling. Ephraim tossed caution into the winds, and leaped forward. He held Sieglinde’s edge with his gauntlet, while his other hand grabbed Eirika’s tiara and pulled it off. Eirika let out a scream, and pushed Ephraim to the ground. Ephraim smiled, rolling over to look at Eirika, only to find her stepping onto his chest, Sieglinde pointed at his throat.

“I’ll be wanting that back now,” Eirika stated. Ephraim’s heart sunk like a stone. The tiara wasn’t the charm. However, an idea occurred to him… he stirred, causing Eirika to fall down so her face dropped in front of his. Ephraim pulled one of his arms over her back, holding her down, as the other one began to stroke the side of her face.

“...Weren’t you trying to act... like I was your sister?” Eirika asked. Ephraim pulled his hand away, and a flicker of disappointment flew through Eirika’s eyes.

“But you are, Eirika… you’re that, and so much more,” Ephraim told her. Eirika looked around at Lyon. In doing so, she also caught sight of Tana and L’Arachel.

“...You need your friends, don’t you?” Ephraim asked.

“Of… of course not… not while… I have… Lyon…” Eirika asked.

“Ah, right, he’ll be able to brainwash them into doing what you want, won’t he?” Ephraim asked. Eirika looked between the pair of them. Tana’s face was lined with fury, and L’Arachel’s with indignation. Eirika tried to imagine the two without those traits.

“...But then… they won’t be… my… my…” Eirika stuttered out. She turned away, finding a direction in which she could see Seth. She let out a wail, her head sinking into Ephraim’s chest.

“What… what have I done?” Eirika asked. Ephraim’s arm began to stroke Eirika’s back, hoping that Eirika was sliding out of Lyon’s control.

* * *

Tana and L’Arachel stood before Lyon, Artur and Lute slightly behind. The three Sacred Weapons between them were at the ready, as Lyon looked between them all.

“Sivardson doesn’t face me himself?” Lyon asked, smirking.

“Well, while you’re going around claiming Eirika’s a Marinsdatter, I think I should mention I’m a Sivardson now,” Tana pointed out, grinning cheekily. Lyon tilted his head.

“Explain?” Lyon asked.

“Ephraim proposed to me. I think that’s more than you can say about your relationship with Eirika,” Tana explained. Lyon rolled his eyes.

“Regardless, MacDethyl… MacDethyl, Sivardson... I don’t care! Just die!” Lyon cried out. He held his arm forward, preparing a powerful Naglfar spell. L’Arachel and Artur cast light magic in the centre of the dark light, and Tana absorbed the remainder using the magical powers of Audhulma.

“...Of course. Emrysdatter, Latonase, and… who on earth are you even? You’re too giving to be Gormlaith’s, too outgoing for Emrys, and not quite churchy enough for Latona! How do you even get this far?” Lyon asked. Artur sighed.

“You cling to the remnants of your knowledge of the Five Heroes, Demon King. But they were just people. People who rose up and overthrew a demonic force seeking destruction. They’re descendants aren’t special just because they happen to be descendants,” Artur pointed out.

“After all, I am not related to Emrys,” Lute added, smiling at Artur’s knowledge.

“Hah… I think I prefer it that way…” Lyon stated, preparing another Naglfar. Lute stepped back, and before Naglfar could do more than intimidate, blades of wind surrounded Lyon and disrupted his focus and his tome. Lyon growled, looking around for some alternate method of attack, when Tana approached him and kicked him to the ground. Audhulma was pointed at him, sending him skating backwards slightly.

“...Eirika and Ephraim would be very interested in hearing your last words, you know…” Tana remarked.

“Gorgons! Attack her!” Lyon cried out. Shadowshots burst from the crowd, but the few that were fired were easily dispatched by Artur and L’Arachel. Tana sighed, running her sword through Lyon’s chest. She stepped back, eyeing him thoughtfully. Some dark colour seemed to disappear from him.

“...So you’re Tana? Eirika spoke very highly of you,” Lyon stated. Tana blushed slightly, but the harshness of her expression did not fade.

“Did she just? Did tales of my exploits inspire you to do what you’ve done here?” Tana asked. Lyon sighed.

“...Tell Eirika I love her. And tell Ephraim… I always wanted to be him,” Lyon stated, his head falling to one side. Tana had nothing to say, as she turned around to look for Eirika and Ephraim. As she did so, the Dark Stone shone darkly.

“L’Arachel!” Tana exclaimed. L’Arachel reached for the Sacred Stone, only for a bolt of lightning to drop down on the Dark Stone and send the four flying back. The Sacred Stone flew from L’Arachel’s fingers, and into the left wing of the battle.

_ The time has come… my resurrection is at hand… lament your failure, humans. Despair in your grief, wallow in your misery, do whatever it is pathetic, failure humans like yourselves do with your failure lives. I have returned…  _ the Demon King’s voice echoed. His voice was unpleasant, the sounds associated with nightmares. A dark light burst from the Sacred Stone, and everyone sunk to the ground, their eyes heavy.

But their dreams restless.

* * *

_ Good, they have them. _

_ There was no reason to expect they wouldn’t. _

_ But it’s great to see anyway. _

_ Some aren’t holding on to them, though. _

_ That shouldn’t matter… they’re Sivard’s ones, those ones are clingier than the rest of them. _

Amongst nightmares of the deaths of their loved ones, being surrounded by monsters and unpleasant summons of Delphine, and more mundane fears like spiders were odd voices for at least a few of the party. Those few stirred in their sleep, the odd voices beginning to overpower the nightmares they saw.

_ Listen well, bearers of our legacy. I am Emrys Jehanna, tactician to this merry band. The Demon King’s power is great- so great that I had to use powerful artefacts to hold it. But that power isn’t all there right now,  _ one of the voices stated.

_ You have one of Emrys’s Stones- the Stone of Devotion. You should be able to use it to draw in the power of the Demon King, and leave him unable to ruin your lands!  _ A female voice claimed.

_ But you’ll all need to wake up… we can manage that, but we’ll have to use the Sacred Twins to do it,  _ another female voice, this one much more energetic, stated.

_ Latona, you should prioritise Ivaldi. Gormlaith, you must be careful. Yours has the Stone of Devotion,  _ a deep male voice ordered.

_ Understood. Nada Kuya, try and get Sivard’s hero closer to Siegmunde before he awakens him,  _ a fifth voice, female and much more serene than the others, suggested. The Sacred Twins began to glow, the Demon King’s most dangerous attack, his Nightmare, fading away for the Hero’s chosen few.

_ May the thunder of Nada Kuya strike once more! _ _   
_ “I will defeat you, Demon King,” Eirika growled, the first to rise, and Sieglinde readied. The Demon King paused in his movements.

_ Sivard’s flames of righteousness burn greatest in adversity! _ _   
_ “We’re going to win, everybody!” Ephraim added, Siegmunde coming to his grip as he rose.

_ May the wings of Dethyl never bear chains! _ _   
_ “...Gotta do my best…” Amelia muttered, Vidofnir’s desire for height helping her resume horseback.

_ The keen eye of Robin will always strike the serpent! _ _   
_ “Bah! How did I ever fall victim to the Demon King’s sleep attack, of all things?” Innes spat, rising with Nidhogg nocked.

_ I call upon Eizariya’s glorious light to defend this land from evil! _ _   
_ “What a ferocious sight that is… I’m ready for it,” Artur chuckled nervously, Ivaldi held firmly.

_ The swift winds of Emrys will always blow favourably! _ _   
_ “I’ve read all about the Demon King, of course. He’s far from lacking weaknesses to exploit!” Lute laughed, the winds of Excalibur blowing both her and Artur’s sage capes unnecessarily.

_ This shall be where Presea’s blade freezes the Demon King in his tracks! _ _   
_ “There’s nothing to fear! I shall defend us all!” Tana roared, Audhulma held out and pulsating coolly.

_ May the darkness of your own hell swallow you, Demon King. _ _   
_ “I’ll show you just how magical I am!” Ewan taunted, letting a meteor of Gleipnir drop before him. The Sacred Stone in his hand was shining brightly.

_ My daughter, defend this forest from those who seek destruction! _ _   
_ “I’ll do what I can,” Myrrh mumbled, looking about rather nervously for someone with the might of a dragon.

_ Cure all ills with Latona’s saintly staff! _ _   
_ “I am L’Arachel Latonase, guardian of light and righteousness! In the name of Eizariya, I will punish you!” L’Arachel cried out, waving the Latona staff around in a distinctly weapon-like way.

_ Unleash the shackles binding the axe of Marin! _ _   
_ “I’ll show you who’s strongest! Father, I hope you can see me!” Ross exclaimed, Garm glimmering in darkness.

_ Abominable Sacred Stone… at least you possess only the one. I will not suffer imprisonment again! You shall know fear in the last moments of your lives, puny humans, as I crush you once and for all!  _ the Demon King’s voice echoed. Eirika laughed aloud.

“Do you honestly believe you stand a chance, Demon King? You’re looking at the wrong end of eleven-to-one, when you lost to ten-to-one in the first place,” Eirika pointed out.

“Ewan, toss the stone into the air!” L’Arachel commanded. Ewan complied uncertainly, only for the Stone to lock in the air at the Demon King’s eye level. It shook around dramatically, and drew an odd, dark light from the beast.

“Success!” L’Arachel exclaimed, as the Sacred Stone dropped back into Ewan’s hands.

“Perfect. What did we do?” Tana asked. L’Arachel giggled.

“We got his soul. The Demon King, despite his power, has one major weakness- love and friendship. The Five Heroes won the day with that more so than their weapons. The Demon King is enshrined in his tomb once more, but we must first defeat his body before we entrap him,” L’Arachel stated.

“And this will be the battle of weapons… Listen well, Demon. I don’t fear you, and you will learn fear. May the work of the Heroes not be in vain!” Ephraim called. He lunged with Siegmunde, striking the Demon King’s firm hide. The lance’s head pierced the skin, but upon withdrawal, the wound was immediately patched up and indistinguishable from the surrounding texture. Eirika’s Sieglinde strike didn’t fare much better.

“Step back. Artur, Ewan, on three. One. Two.  _ May the blade of Excalibur strike you down!”  _ Lute called.

_ “Lose yourself in the fierce light of Ivaldi!”  _ Artur echoed.

_ “Gleipnir!”  _ Ewan casted, his wand simplifying the incantation stage. The three spells- sharp cutting wind, glorious light and meteors of darkness- struck the Demon King in a flurry of colours. When the light faded, the Demon King’s shape much resembled fine paste… only for him to again reform into his more menacing form.

“L’Arachel, is there anything in the legends about how the Heroes beat the Demon King?” Lute asked.

“It was a final showdown with Marin… but she didn’t beat him. She sealed him!” L’Arachel stated. Ross ran forward, and whacked Garm solidly into the Demon King’s side. He followed up with a downwards stroke that reached into his belly. Ross stepped back, readying his third strike, only to notice the first had also healed. The second remained.

“...I think I’ve got it… Everyone hurry in!” Ross cried out. He, Amelia, Eirika and Ephraim began a barrage of their weapon strikes, Innes aiming careful Nidhogg shots at the opened wounds. Tana was dragging Vanessa and Syrene closer to the confrontation.

“...Tana, I think you might have been misinformed about the nature of that,” Innes stated. No one could make head or tail of this statement, but in all honesty, the action was just as confusing.

“You haven’t tried it, then,” Tana stated simply. She moved the two sleeping figures into what roughly passed as either side of the Demon King, and everyone else backed away. Tana raised Audhulma skyward, a light glinting off it that really shouldn’t.

“I know we can do this! Triangle Attack!” Tana called. Tana charged into the Demon King, diving right through with Audhulma. The impact left a pegasus-shaped hole in the centre of the Demon King. As it began to patch over, Ross and Innes quickly began reopening it. Amelia and Ephraim started to push the Demon King so he did not land on either Vanessa or Syrene, and Tana delivered a slash to the Demon King’s head. Everyone let out a moment’s breathing, watching the Demon King. Far from patching back up, he began to flake and dissolve into particles. Vanessa and Syrene began stirring, and a quick check confirmed everyone else was, too.

“That’s it… it’s over…” Eirika breathed.

“Exactly. The Demon King is imprisoned once more. Ewan, would you mind?” L’Arachel asked. Ewan passed her the Sacred Stone, and L’Arachel held it thoughtfully.

“...Pity I can’t smash it and destroy the Demon King. Emrys was quite clear on that when adding notes to the legends,” L’Arachel remarked.

“But, at the very least, the Demon King’s body is destroyed. That’s not something Marin can claim… and who knows. Maybe that was enough,” Innes stated.

“Well, if that’s the case, then two girls saved the world while asleep,” Tana laughed. Syrene looked at her oddly.

“What did I do?” Syrene asked.

“Helped me Triangle Attack that monster, duh!” Tana stated. Syrene giggled.

“Tana, the Triangle Attack doesn’t work unless everyone’s focused on the one target,” Syrene stated. Tana began to flush in embarrassment.


	27. Continent at Peace

With the Demon King now defeated, the party returned to Nadaku. It was an unspoken agreement that they make their way there before discussing who will be heading where… especially when considering where to keep the Sacred Stone that remained. Eirika looked around once the party had entered Nadaku, and turned around to face her soldiers.

“Innes, Tana, Joshua, Natasha, L’Arachel, Myrrh, Seth, Ephraim, I want to organise a meeting amongst royals,” Eirika stated. Everyone nodded, though Seth questioned why he was counted. Eirika led the party to the throne room, while everyone else looked amongst each other.

“So what do the rest of us do?” Cormag asked.

“I’d assume we wait for their decision. Eirika might want us decorated for our efforts,” Duessel stated.

“I’m fine without,” Knoll stated quickly. Everyone else looked between each other. Perhaps hearing her out mightn’t be so bad.

“Now we just have to find a place to sit and wait,” Neimi pointed out.

“I think the castle’s interior might be relatively clear,” Lute suggested. Everyone nodded, grateful someone came up with the idea to go inside. The party split into groups based on shared heritage, knowing that would make it easier once the royals had returned.

* * *

“So what is this all about?” Joshua asked. Eirika twiddled her fingers uncertainly, unsure as to how to proceed. Ephraim recognised the feeling of uncertainty, and leaned forward.

“Eirika, know that no one here will think any worse of you for what you suggest,” Ephraim assured her. Eirika nodded.

“...I want to be Grado’s Empress,” Eirika stated. Everyone looked amongst each other, generally in agreement.

“We figured as much,” Innes stated.

“We know that you alone trusted Lyon… and he trusted you. I’m sure that wherever Lyon is now, he’s looking up upon you and smiling at you,” Tana added. Eirika nodded.

“Seth, will you join me?” Eirika asked. Seth let out a stutter. Though her wording mentioned nothing of the sort, it was clear as day what Eirika meant. She wanted his hand in marriage, for him to rule as Emperor by Eirika’s side. Seth turned to Ephraim, who looked him in the eye for a full minute before speaking up.

“Seth, I’m revoking your titles of Renais. After what you’ve seen, do you honestly believe that Eirika could do better than choose you?” Ephraim said. Seth felt the sharp feeling of being fired, but one look back at Eirika and he remembered he would’ve had to give up those titles to follow her anyway. Ephraim was just removing his choice in the matter.

“My blade is yours, Princess… no, excuse me. Empress Eirika,” Seth stated. Eirika smiled, holding out her hand for Seth.

“Right, now that that one’s settled… who’s up for arranging regular contact between our nations? Even in times of peace, surely this should help maintain our bonds of trust,” Natasha took a turn to suggest. Joshua was about to scoff, before considering the decision.

“That might work…” Joshua remarked.

“I agree. What we need is that trust, especially after what happened to Grado to cause this mess,” Innes stated.

“All the same, we cannot do so regularly… seasonally, perhaps?” Seth asked. L’Arachel nodded.

“Perfect reasoning for me to leave the Sacred Stone here, with the existing protective charm,” L’Arachel claimed. Eirika opened her mouth to point out she would not be remaining in Renais, before considering the advantages of that fact. Anyone wanting a bid for the Demon King’s might would have to antagonise two countries to claim their ruler’s charms.

“Last item on the agenda, because I can tell everyone’s going to be restless if we don’t finish up soon… when’s the wedding?” L’Arachel asked. Ephraim considered the question.

“...I want it to be during one of these meetings. Maybe in six months time… but if Renais is still busy with reconstruction, nine months,” Ephraim stated. Tana nodded in agreement, as Ephraim turned to Myrrh. This meeting was over… but thankfully, everyone was not about to part ways for what might be forever.

* * *

“...So you’ll be going to Darkling Woods with Saleh, won’t you?” Ephraim asked. Myrrh nodded, tears coming to her eyes, especially as Ephraim’s arms came under hers. Truthfully, she didn’t want to leave her Brother… but Darkling Woods would be restless, and Myrrh would need to be on hand.

“I’ll visit often. Well… I will once Renais is in good shape,” Ephraim promised.

“Thank you… I’ll eagerly await it,” Myrrh told him.

“Don’t make a habit of it. I don’t want you waiting after I’m dead,” Ephraim pointed out. Myrrh gave a soft giggle.

“You’ve been a great big brother… I’ll miss you once you’ve gone,” Myrrh stated. Ephraim shrugged.

“If people didn’t die, Magvel would be completely full. At the very least, I’d imagine when we meet again after that, it’ll be forever. You, me, Tana and Eirika…” Ephraim suggested. Myrrh smiled at the thought.

“But that’s a long time away…” Myrrh stated, and Ephraim nodded firmly.

“Yes. Now get going. I’m sure Saleh is eagerly waiting for his Great Dragon,” Ephraim pointed out. Myrrh giggled again, and left the room, leaving Ephraim alone with Tana.

“Listen… can I go to Frelia, for a little? I want to visit Father…” Tana asked.

“Don’t ever think I’m going to stop you doing that. In fact, I’d better come, too…” Ephraim pointed out. Tana smiled, as Ephraim followed her to join Innes in returning to Frelia.

* * *

“Your pay for helping us,” Innes stated, holding out a hefty sack of gold. Gerik chuckled.

“You don’t need to pay us, Innes,” Gerik told him.

“No, I do. You’re mercenaries, and you’ve more than earned this,” Innes stated. Marisa held her hand out, and buckled under its weight as it was passed to her. Tethys opened it for her, and the three looked inside at the sheer amount of gold.

“I know it’s from Renais’s coffers, but I know Tana’ll be following me to Frelia anyway. I’ll just add the amount to the money Frelia will give to Renais for reconstruction,” Innes assured him. Gerik gave a weak laugh.

“Is that why you think we’re worried? Gold is gold to a mercenary,” Gerik pointed out.

“Gerik? Can we use this for our wedding?” Marisa asked. Gerik looked between Marisa, who had hopeful eyes, and Tethys, whose eyes were encouraging. Gerik gave a nod, and Tethys gave a small squeal of delight.

“Anyway, you return to Jehanna. I want an invitation to that, though,” Innes stated. In the second before Innes turned away, the mercenaries could’ve sworn they saw a Tana-like smile in Innes’s eyes.

* * *

“So you’ll be our new Empress?” Duessel asked. Eirika shivered, the imposing figure somewhat scaring her now. But Duessel gave a firm smile, and bowed before her. Eirika let out a wan smile as the other Grado citizens followed suit.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll need to earn that from your people… they won’t take kindly to getting the inferior sister, even if I do-” Eirika started, before pausing. If she finished her statement, she felt she’d never hear the end of the worry from her friends.

“...You have something to validate your claim to Grado’s throne?” Duessel asked, curious if such a thing exists.

“...I might have a Marinsdatter child…” Eirika mumbled softly. Regardless, both Seth and Duessel heard her.

“There’s no need to worry about it… if we don’t mention the other part, no one has to worry,” Duessel assured her. Seth, meanwhile, was crushing Eirika’s hand in concern.

“Eirika!” L’Arachel called. Eirika turned in curiosity, only for L’Arachel to give her a tight hug.

“...Are you all right, L’Arachel?” Eirika asked.

“...I’ll manage. I don’t have anyone waiting for me in Rausten but Uncle. Rennac’s hinted he might come back with me as well, but he’s not exactly as friendly as you’ve all been,” L’Arachel told her.

“...I’m…” Eirika started.

“Don’t worry… I know how important Grado is to you. I can tell you need to go there. But… could you visit a bit more often than every season?” L’Arachel asked. Eirika smiled.

“Of course, L’Arachel,” Eirika assured her. L’Arachel beamed, and strode away to her pegasus. Seth turned to her.

“Did you know she likes you the same way I do?” Seth asked her in a low tone.

“If you mean romantically, it doesn’t change a thing between us,” Eirika told him.

* * *

At Frelia, while Innes went ferreting about with stock, Tana went to visit Hayden immediately. From the mutterings she heard from Innes on the way, she believed that was intentional on Innes’s part. Hayden was lying on his bed, mumbling softly to himself, but upon hearing Tana enter the room, his smile returned to him.

“Holly?” Hayden croaked. Tana’s face sunk in confusion, before she approached him.

“...No, it can’t be. I’m dead… or dreaming. You can’t be Holly…” Hayden remarked.

“Not quite, Daddy,” Tana told him. Hayden’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Tana! Are you all right?” Hayden asked. Tana nodded.

“Better than all right. Daddy, Ephraim asked me to marry him!” Tana stated. Hayden let out a brilliant smile.

“That’s amazing, Tana,” Hayden stated, before his face fell. Tana knew what was on his mind, and her own face fell a little.

“That means you’ll be in Renais now…” Hayden observed.

“Renais needs rebuilding, Daddy. But I promise I’ll visit when I can. And you’ll still have Innes,” Tana told him. Hayden nodded.

“And I know Innes will be a fantastic king. Just as you will be a brilliant queen for Renais. You just make sure you don’t give Ephraim too hard a time, you hear?” Hayden asked. Tana giggled.

“I hope you can make it to the wedding, too… I’m sure Ephraim will let us do it in Frelia, if you’re not up and about by then,” Tana told him. Hayden smiled.

“I don’t think I’ll be making it… but thanks for the offer,” Hayden told her. Tana nodded, getting a few tears in her eye.

“...Your mother would be proud,” Hayden told her. Tana smiled. She remembered her mother, and Tana suspected she would have been. But it was nice to hear that Hayden believed the same.

* * *

**Silent Gilliam & Graceful Syrene: ** Gilliam and Syrene became great commanders of the infantry and pegasus divisions of Frelia’s military. One was imposing and the other benevolent, though the two taught each other the benefits of their approaches.

**Wise Counselor Moulder:** Moulder continued to serve the royal family as a counselor to the ruler. His wisdom guided King Innes as it had King Hayden before him.

**Franz the Faithful:** Franz remained in Renais, ascending to Seth’s old position in his absence. He never allowed the death of his brother to weigh upon him in public, and aspired to be as easygoing as he was.

**Warrior Reborn Garcia:** Garcia returned to Ide to help the town rebuild. He eventually decided to return to the army, serving as troop leader. His strength, valour and experience inspired all that followed him.

**Tearful Archer Neimi & Good-Natured Thief Colm: ** Neimi continued to lead her army of girls, its ranks never faltering despite the rebuilding effort. Her grandfather’s skills were taught to both her own daughter and her friends in her troop, to Innes’s continual dismay.

**Saint of Light Artur & Prodigy Lute: ** Artur and Lute returned to their old home, where they married and lived a life of calm. Lute continued to study anything put under her nose, from Artur to her son’s baffling habits.

**Tempest King Joshua & Sacred Healer Natasha: ** Joshua claimed Natasha as his bride, ushering Jehanna to a new era of prosperity with her skills at the ready. When Grado suffered, Jehanna was perfectly capable of assisting in supporting the refugees while the nation recovered.

**Strategist King Innes & Dutiful Rider Vanessa: ** Innes, with Vanessa’s aid, helped Frelia to become a prosperous nation with many resources to share. Renais and Grado in turn found Frelia a dependable ally in times of adversity.

**Son of a Father Ross, Rose of the War Amelia & Enthusiastic Student Ewan: ** The three children slipped away on a grand adventure throughout Magvel, and many had fun attempting to trace their route by organising reports of their sightings. Three years after they left, they parted ways, so that Ross and Amelia could return to their countries stronger. Ewan was never seen again.

**Loyal Soldier Finn:** Finn married Amelia upon her return, and supported her in her ascent to one of the Imperial Three. When she bore a child, Finn set an example across the continent of a man remaining at home while the wife continued her service.

**Obsidian General Duessel:** Duessel returned to Grado, and was instrumental in its rebuilding. His wisdom as a combat instructor spread across the land, and Amelia continued in his place following his death.

**Free-Riding Fluorspar Selena:** Selena was returned from her stone prison as quickly as possible. She continued to serve in the Imperial Three, vowing that should Eirika ever turn against Grado, she would not follow.

**Watcher of Darkness Knoll:** Knoll studiously served Grado, helping Lyon’s vision of a country at peace come to fruition. He mysteriously vanished one day, and people still speculate as to why.

**Aloof Lancer Cormag:** Cormag aided in the reconstruction of Grado, before departing on a mission. When he returned with Duessel’s lance tamed, he was as surprised as anyone to find that his place in the Imperial Three was still open.

**Queen of Light L’Arachel:** L’Arachel became the ruler of Rausten’s theocracy several years after the war. Her allegiance with her neighbouring countries made her a divine empress, though she remained heirless.

**Rich “Merchant” Rennac:** Rennac loyally served at L’Arachel’s side, to her continued bemusement. When L’Arachel found herself heirless, he disappeared, vowing to return with Rausten’s next ruler or die trying.

**Desert Tiger Gerik and Crimson Flash Marisa:** Gerik and Marisa began life as common folk, but when their son showed an interest in the mercenary lifestyle, found themselves roped back in. Despite her clumsy nature off the battlefield, Marisa returned to it like a duck to water.

**Beloved Dancer Tethys:** Tethys left Gerik’s Mercenaries on good terms, and became a legendary wandering dancer. When questioned on her decision, she stated she was becoming an ‘explorer’ through dancing.

**Well of Wisdom Saleh:** Saleh returned to Caer Pelyn, remaining a faithful servant of the Manakete. While Caer Pelyn remained largely secular, visitors from the war were frequent, and shades of its culture began to spread across Magvel.

**Great Dragon Myrrh:** Myrrh returned to Darkling Woods, continually served by the people of Caer Pelyn. Her long life was comforted by memories of her friends.

**Restoration Empress Eirika and Silver Knight Seth:** Eirika became a magnificent ruler of Grado, with a loyal husband in Seth to continue to aid her. Her first child had Lyon’s distinctive hair, and was raised with the utmost care by all in the country.

**Restoration King Ephraim and Winged Queen Tana:** Ephraim and Tana ushered in a new age for Renais and Magvel alike. Their wedding marked a momentous occasion in Magvel’s history, though some claim it was only because Tana’s first child was born during the vows.


End file.
